


A Resigned Path

by TJ-182 (xTonyaJacex), xTonyaJacex



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, BAMF Ginny Weasley, BAMF Neville Longbottom, BAMF Percy Weasley, Character Study, Dark Hermione Granger, Dark Ron Weasley, Epic Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Minor Romantic Relationships, Mostly Gen, Not All Slytherins Are Bad, Protective Harry Potter, Protective Hermione Granger, Protective Ron Weasley, Reincarnation, Ron Weasley is a Good Friend, Somewhat, Sort Of, The Golden Trio, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Weasley Family-centric (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 78,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25789219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xTonyaJacex/pseuds/TJ-182, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xTonyaJacex/pseuds/xTonyaJacex
Summary: It was never a choice they wanted to make. It was a path they needed to walk.His heart, Her knowledge and His essence causing ripples in a future full of ghosts.Death can't help but be amused as three lives so tightly entwined bring chaos and change to the stagnant world of magic.orIn a world without Harry, Hermione and Ron make a choice. In their favour, the powers that be listen.With a bit of help, the Golden trio that forms again is not exactly the same.(Cross posting on FF.net)
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Luna Lovegood & Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom & Draco Malfoy
Comments: 46
Kudos: 315





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter: It Starts Here.**

Life was a cruel mistress indeed.

Ron chuckled darkly as he stared at the carnage before him. He could barely register the still bodies that surrounded him. The war had finally been won, but the price was much too high. It was silent- too silent. An obvious sign that what had happened was much too horrible to be true. The aftermath of everything should have tasted like victory and relief. There should have been fanfares of celebration and pride for they'd finally done it.

Voldemort is dead.

Now he just sat in silence.

All around him dead foes, friends and family.

He thinks he should at least be grieving, rampant with anguish and pure rage over his loses. Instead, he is numb to anything. Despite the beating of his heart, the breathing of his lungs; Ron feels like another corpse on the field.

"R-Ron?"

He turns to look and there she stands. It hurts to look at her. It's not right- should not have happened but it is what it is. Hermione stares at him brokenly through bandaged eyes. She will never see again. No more reading for his lovable-at-times-infuriating bookworm. No more eye rolls with twinkling fondness when he says something stupid. Ron forces himself to speak and it's like swallowing broken glass.

"Yeah?" he croaks.

He feels the last of his heart strings break away at seeing how she tries to navigate her way to him. He doesn't hesitate to stand and reach for her. She clings to him tightly- desperately twisting her fingers into his bloodied and torn sleeves. As if begging him not to let go- to never let go. She doesn't need to because Ron has no intentions of ever leaving her side ever again. He pulls her into a tight hug and simply _clings_ to her.

He's still not crying and neither is she; the both of them long dried up from any possible tears.

"It's over….. h-he did it," she whimpers.

Ron's stomach swoops with despair and he bites his tongue to swallow the wail it almost releases. He's done his screaming already- what use would it do him now? Instead he buries his nose into her singed hair. It's a far cry from her usual untameable poof, now uneven and hacked- singed and coarse. Ron knows if the tables were turned, she would see just how similar a mess he looked as well. He's glad she can't and the thought makes him choke on his guilt and self-hatred.

It's the truth though.

He knew Hermione- officially knew her better than _anyone_ in the world.

She was better off not knowing about the deep carvings of claws he'll never be rid of. He was glad she couldn't see that the blood he was soaked in was a mix of more than just his own. Today, Ron wore a different kind of gift from his mother- one she literally bled for.

"This is wrong," she whispers

Once again, she's right.

Hermione Granger is always right and rarely ever wrong.

This was one of those times.

Ron thought about it all- he forced his mind to relive every second of their lives where Voldemort had ever been a threat. It doesn't take long for him to be remembering that horrid day as an 11 year old. The first time he ever had to visit the hospital wing. Ron thought about his family, his friends, the dead and the living. Until finally, he thought about **_him._**

Harry Potter.

The Boy who lived.

Beloved Son, Wizarding World Saviour, Best mate and Brother anyone could ever ask for.

Scrawny Harry too broody for his own good.

Gloomy Harry with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Sarcastic shit Harry with that cunning streak you missed if you blinked.

Harry Potter the Martyr.

Dead.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

It's barely been a year and the both of them are no better.

Ron can barely bring himself to speak, his voice croaky due to lack of use. Hermione never stops talking. Every day from dawn to dusk she'll be heard repeatedly reciting every paragraph from every book she'd read. All of it stored in her brain, never to have her brown eyes devouring the pages of its ink printed form again. She speaks until her voice is gone but doesn't stop miming the words. The rare days they even remember to eat is a miracle in itself.

The first to try is Neville.

He tries to comfort them- to lend an ear, a shoulder, a hand.

He doesn't come back after Ron asked him to say hello to Luna for him.

"Why is there ever this perverse cruelty in humankind that makes us hurt most those we love best? For the belief of a cruel God makes a cruel man."

Ron snorts and there is no guilt to be heard. Hermione tilts her head in his direction, but does not scold him as she once would have. The silence between them speaks plenty, more than any would dare to suspect. The oppressive tension between them a language only they know how to read. What should have been a trio now, two broken vessels chained down by loss and grief.

"He's not **him** ," Ron lowly growled.

Hermione only sighs. She's not congratulating him for being an arse to Neville. She knows why he'd done it. It does not change the fact that it was still cruel. She did not need eyes to know what expression Neville most likely wore in response to Ron's words.

Sweet, precious Luna.

Too young and free spirited.

So cruelly tortured before Neville in reminiscence of his own parents and now truly looney.

Neville wouldn't mean too, but he would try to fill the gaping hole **he** left behind. Broken shards of two different vases can never fit together. Neville had his own loss to deal with. He was in no state to attempt healing theirs.

"This is wrong," Hermione repeats like she once did before.

Ron snarls and immediately latches onto her; his hold is too tight to be comfortable. She doesn't mind as her nails dig into his arms until it bleeds. No one can save them. They are broken pieces, rotting fruits at the roots of the tree of life. They only have each other and no one else.

They still don't cry.

Unable to shed a tear since the day they'd won.

Ron laughs, but there is no humour in the sound. He laughs as he buries his face into Hermione's neck and squeezes her tighter.

"I was so jealous," he croaked.

He'd always wanted to be more than he was.

He remembers the taste of envy and jealously in his fourth year.

'Why is it always Harry?' he used to think.

He never understood just what being Harry Potter really meant.

Not until now.

Ron Weasley had always been poor. Now, other than the clothes on his back and the woman in his arms, he had nothing. Once, he was the sixth child of seven and had two loving parents. Now, he was the last Weasley. The sole survivor of a family known to have many. No one cared about Ron Weasley the child- no one but his own blood and the few friends he'd made.

Ron Weasley the man was famous, one third of a saviour trio.

"This is wrong," Hermione repeated hearing his thoughts despite no words being spoken and no magic being used.

It was only the beginning.

After Neville came many more.

McGonagall.

Flitwick.

Hagrid.

Kingsley.

Krum.

Dean Thomas.

Andromeda.

People they didn't know.

Even Pansy Parkinson had made a strange appearance.

Every attempt ending with cruel words and silence.

All their efforts failing before they even had a chance to fully take flight.

It had been 7 years and both of them are no better.

The wizarding world starts to move on, while they were forever trapped.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Ron is sure it's Kingsley who pushed for their names to slowly fade from the papers. Hermione argued it was most likely McGonagall. They're both proven wrong when an owl delivers them a letter from Neville. Paranoia and Gratitude, is not a combination they're use to feeling. Ron had rummaged and read out loud every book he could find on defense magic and the likes. Hermione had brewed as many potions as she could in preparation for war.

No favour comes freely and they were sure this kindness was a farce.

But days turned to weeks and weeks to months with no attack or attempt of contact.

"This is wrong!" Ron snarled, borrowing Hermione's favoured phrase in the recent years.

She huffed at him, empty sockets trained in his direction behind a dark laced band over her eyes. She tapped her fingers on the rim of her cauldron, listening for that specific sound of sparks and bubbles. She ignored the trembling of the floor and shelves that responded to the dangerous rise of Ron's temper.

They'd changed and so had their magic.

It was wilder now, free and unbound- tainted by the darkness that lived in their minds and hearts.

Their younger selves would be horrified at all they'd become.

"Perhaps, but it is what it is," she mused before stirring the potion three times and leaving it to rest.

She could sense him with ease, able to track that wild thunderous thrum of his magic. He clung to her and she soothed him by digging her nails into his flesh. They anchored each other, nothing else was real but them. She inhaled sharply, greedily losing herself to the scent of him and his magic. He curled his hands in her hair and the pain of the motion made her smile.

"This is wrong," she repeated before pulling back from his hold.

She cupped his face in her hands and smiled. Easily, her magic rose to meet his and they danced. Ron groaned at the intimate combination their magic made. The sound morphed into dark chuckling. The room shook under the pressure of their magic and the potion bubbled over in its cauldron.

Ron growled at the lace band that hid her eyes, and pulled it off. He stared into the empty space and pressed his forehead against hers. She was all he had and he would not let her go for nothing. She giggled, hearing all he said and responding in kind. When she next spoke, it was just as haunting.

Fate had stopped breathing. While Time, Life and Death stood still, feeling a strange disturbance forming on the horizon. Only Magic smiled with excitement for what will come.

"We'll fix it."

And they would, for Magic would see it done.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Fate trembled.

Time despaired.

Life was angered.

But Death…..

Death only laughed.

'Come then, let us see what new fun they will bring,' Death whispered before shaking hands with Magic.

A deal was struck and Change got to work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter: Their Return.**

_'Terrible things happen to wizards who meddle with time.'_

She remembers saying that once. Hermione muses on the wisdom of her younger self with fondness. It won't stop her. She was always so determined, so headstrong and stubborn once she'd made up her mind. This was no different.

She listened to the ticks, mentally counting down.

They'd timed it all perfectly.

She had only 40 more ticks to go.

Hermione let her mind reflect on memories she'd long buried.

She thought about **him.**

"Did you feel like this? Alone, knowing it would soon be over. Is that how you felt when you left us?" she asked the darkness.

It was cold, but that probably had more to do with her naked state than anything. He should already be inside by now. He should be close to it now. She only had 19 more ticks to go. Hermione took a breath and began to chant and could feel her magic start to work. The runes carved into her flesh grew heated the more she chanted till the pain became unbearable. She pushed herself to continue chanting, despite how her words started to sound more like shrill screams.

10 ticks left.

She finished the last of the chant and felt as if her entire body were on fire.

She'd long fallen and curled on the ground.

But she was satisfied.

5 ticks.

"Harry…"

4 ticks.

"Wait for us…"

3 ticks.

"We're coming…."

2 ticks.

"We'll fix it….."

1 tick.

"Ron…."

***BOOM***

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

_"He must have known I'd want to leave you."_

_"No, he must have known you'd always want to come back."_

Ron laughed madly at the memory. He could hear the consequences of the chaos he'd caused loud and clear. It was a distraction that would have made Fred and George proud. The security had improved greatly from the last time he'd been here.

"STOP! STUPEFY!"

Ron easily ducked and rolled out of the line of fire. He flicked his hand and the silent curse he cast struck true. He grinned at the result before getting to his feet and running faster. They were barking orders, spitting curses wildly but still failed to detain him. Their shouting turned into roars of his name.

Ron smirked as he spotted Kingsley among the torrent of madness. Just as their gazes met, Ron ensured he waved before letting the doors close.

"WEASLEY!" They cried.

It had been too long since he'd heard someone cry his name so angrily.

He could barely stop himself from jumping due to all the adrenaline and magic.

30 ticks to go.

He couldn't fail.

Not this time.

And he wouldn't.

The ding announced his destination and Ron hurried to move. He needed to see it, he had to see it first. He's so close- so close to… Ron sharply inhaled as there it was. It looked no different from the last time he'd seen it.

Lie.

He had never seen the spirits that danced around it. They whispered to him, lured him close much like a siren would a sailor. Ron felt his lips stretch till the skin split and his cheeks ached. He walked towards the arched veil with clouded blue eyes.

20 ticks to go.

"Stop where you are Weasel."

Ron only stops because of how unexpected the encounter was. He turned and stared at the worn and aged figure of Draco Malfoy. It had been so long since he'd last seen another his age that was not Hermione.

Hermione.

15 ticks to go.

Malfoy watches him with cautious silver eyes. Ron wonders what the ferret sees; wonders if he still recognises the weasel he'd once been? When he speaks it's a mix of both a laugh and a sneer. The words he speaks are friendly but the tone is filled with dark threat. Ron suddenly realises that between the both of them, the black soot tainting his soul is darker than the man before him.

He grins with sharp teeth that tingle with want for blood.

"Here to stop me, _ferret_?"

10 ticks to go.

Draco watches him, his wand aimed to strike his heart. The blood that drips from his arm to the floor is the only sound among the silence. Ron feels his temper thrum as he is running out of time.

"I'm shocked, Longbottom hadn't been wrong with his suspicions."

Ron barks out a darkly crazed laugh and relishes in the uncertainty Draco eyes reveal. He shrugs off the robes and reveals the carved runes all over his arms and chest. He grins wildly at seeing Draco's eyes slowly widen with horrified realisation.

"Neville always was too soft. When you see him, be sure to let him know there was nothing he could've done to stop us."

5 ticks.

"WEASLEY YOU CAN'T!"

4 ticks.

Ron runs and easily ducks the spells cast his way.

3 ticks.

He's howling with maniac laughter as the runes in his flesh **burn** and **devours** his magic.

2 ticks.

He twists just in time to see the rest of the ministry burst onto the scene. Ron jumps and falls back into the veil with open arms. He embraces the whispering lure and finally feels at peace.

1 tick.

"Harry…."

***BOOM***

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

The Veil explodes and the surrounding wizards and witches are thrown back from the outburst.

A few miles away a certain home explodes at the exact same time, causing the surrounding civilians to scatter with screams.

Draco Malfoy scrambles to his feet and searches the wreckage only to find nothing.

Neville Longbottom falls to his knees as he stares at the destroyed building- home to the last of his friends.

Minerva McGonagall is nowhere near these locations, yet she feels the spike of magical change that ripples throughout the air. Seconds later a rather harried Professor Flitwick joins her and they stare into the distance.

"Minerva…."

She can only look to her friend with solemn eyes and nod her head in confirmation.

Flitwick cries and his sobs are contagious as Minerva finds tears silently stream down her cheeks.

News spreads quickly across the seas to the entirety of the wizarding world.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Ronald Weasley, 1/3 of Britain's Golden trio of saviours: Confirmed Dead.

Hermione Granger, 1/3 of Britain's Golden trio of saviours: Confirmed Dead.

**"May they find peace in Death; safe in the arms of those they once mourned and never forgot"**

\- _Neville Longbottom_

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

There was nothing to be found.

No bodies to be buried.

Still, Neville saw to it that their graves were placed beside **him.**

Draco finds him still there long after the sun had set. If anyone had told 11 year old Neville that he would one day find comfort in the presence of Draco Malfoy, he would name you a liar and laugh.

Yet here he is, feeling his shoulders ease and his posture relax.

"Weasley called you soft."

Neville chokes out a laugh because it was the truth.

In four words, Draco has successfully broken him and freed him all in one swoop.

He looks to the blonde haired man and finds no pity.

Neville smiles as he wipes the last of his tears.

"There was no stopping them."

Neville nods and the wind that blows cause his cheeks to redden. He stares at the marble stones, the only remaining markers of them in this world.

The gods couldn't say he did not try.

"A fitting end don't you think? At least now, they can be whole."

Draco scoffs and sneers at the three graves before them.

But he does not comment, and for that Neville is grateful.

They swear an oath of promise before the three graves.

A vow to never be shared.

A secret never to be told.

It's better this way.

The world does not need to know of the truth.

They did not need to know of the darkness that devoured the surviving 2 of Britain's Golden trio in their final days.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

On the eve of Halloween, 1981 a flash of green light saw the end to the lives of Lily and James Potter by the hand of the Dark Lord Voldemort. As Voldemort turned his wand on the babe in the crib, the spell he cast rebounded and he shrieked as his soul was torn from its physical self.

Harry James Potter, by all rights should have died on this fated night.

A family of red heads startled awake at the shrill screaming of their youngest baby boy.

A young couple did their best to quiet the screaming of their precious baby girl.

But….. Death had a promise to keep and with a rather ominous chuckle, he kissed the babes brow.

"Until we meet again….. Young master…" Death soothed.

On the eve of Halloween, 1981, three babes slept soundly but come morning a scar will come to exist on all three.

A mark of sacrifice.

Life raged but could do nothing.

Fate fought her binds but Change kept her still.

Time looked to Chaos and Magic who dined happily on either side of him and he dreaded what was to come.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter: Harry.**

Harry James Potter was an odd child.

A freak in the eyes of his Aunt, Uncle and Cousin.

A delinquent in the eyes of his neighbours, peers and teachers.

A hero to the wizarding world.

An orphan.

Unexplainable things always happened around him, incidents he would be punished for.

But Harry thought it was his dreams that truly made him odd.

He dreamed of colours, bright red and honey brown crowding an emerald green. The colours always danced together in harmony when he dreamed. The three shades constantly chasing after each other, swirling with freedom and affectionate warmth. Harry could never understand why the colours always brought him joy. Why he'd wake with a deep ache of yearning in his chest and burning twinge from his scar.

Then there were the nights he dreamed and would wake with agonising screams of pure grief. Those were the worst. On those nights his uncle would beat him into silence, giving him real reason to cry. Yet, it never stopped him from doing the same thing the next time. When he was eight, he thought he saw true fear, concern and terror for him in the eyes of his aunt. But she was the same as always in the morning and he decided he imagined the look.

When he was nine, Dudley had found the courage to ask him why he would wake screaming and crying out.

"What are you dreaming about that makes you sound so horrible…" Dudley asks looking uncomfortable.

Dudley stopped bothering him after he'd turned six, when his night terrors caused the house to shake. It was the first time his Uncle and Aunt had truly looked frightened of him. Harry played with the frayed ends of his sleeves and mumbled his reply.

"Something painful. It's hard to explain. I dream of colours, but on those nights all I ever see is green. A bright green that hurts."

He doesn't know his aunt is listening until she drops the bowl in her hands. She's pale white, staring at him with horror. He panics, thinking he's going to be punished again. She doesn't strike him, instead she backs away looking horrified and disappears back into her room. He doesn't see her for the rest of the day, but ensures the house is spotless just in case. Dudley quietly disappears back into his own room, and they pretend nothing had happened.

When Uncle Vernon comes home, he hears them arguing and the sound of his Aunts wailing sobs. Harry shuts his eyes tightly and does his best to focus on the trio of colours that always brought him comfort. When he finally sleeps and dreams, the bright red and honey brown consume him. Almost as if they are protecting him from the painful green and he feels at peace.

Two days later, his Aunt sits him down on her precious white sofa. She holds a box full of old looking things and her eyes are red while her skin is pale white. She passes him a photo and he stares at the two people frozen in time.

The woman has hair so red; it reminds him of fire. She's smiling at the camera, dressed in white with her green eyes brightly gleaming. The man holding her is dressed in black, wearing something that looks like a robe. He wears glasses and has raven dark hair with warm brown eyes. Harry feels his heart pound, feeling as if he knows these people, but unable to recognise them.

He looks to his aunt, confused, and finds her watching him intently with shame and guilt.

"Who- Who are they?"

"Those are your parents," she croaks.

He suddenly can't breathe.

Harry Potter is nine when his Aunt tells him the truth of his mother and father.

When he next dreams two different shades of red and brown have joined his usual trio of colours. They dance together, swarming him with warmth and keeping the painful green far away.

On his eleventh birthday, he receives a letter inviting him to Hogwarts.

Dudley is the one to hand him a pen so he could reply, while his Aunt and Uncle pointedly ignore the letter's existence.

The next day a woman stands at his doorstep, dressed in odd clothing with a pointed hat on her head. She smiles when he opens the door for her, and he returns the expression hesitantly.

"Good morning Mr. Potter. I am Professor McGonagall of Hogwarts and will be your transfiguration teacher. I am here to help you purchase the necessary stationary required for your education at Hogwarts. Will your guardian be joining us?"

Harry shakes his head and quietly explains.

"Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon aren't comfortable around magic. I'll be fine on my own, my cousin should be home when were done to open the door."

Minerva purses her lips but nevertheless gives a nod and prompts him to follow her.

This is how Harry Potter, the infamous boy who lived, returns to the wizarding world.

Change grins, satisfied with his work, and reaches for the other two fate threads.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter: Hermione.**

Hermione Jean Granger loved books to an alarming degree.

A degree that occasionally frightened her parents.

Despite the pride they had for their only child, she terrified them with her intelligence and fast working mind. By the age of six she'd begun reading the works of Shakespeare and Jane Austen. She could analyse and comprehend reading material intended for nineteen-year old's at the age of eight. On her ninth birthday, she politely requested to be home-schooled as she no longer found her school curriculum engaging enough. By the time she'd turned ten, she'd begun university level courses.

Mr and Mrs Granger loved their genius daughter with all their hearts, but her intensity and hunger for knowledge terrified them. She never slowed down, almost as if she couldn't.

Once, Mr Granger had tried to talk her into pacing herself.

"Hermione, love, you have all the time in the world to learn. You are only a child once, sweetheart, why not slow down a bit?"

He would never forget the haunted look in her eyes when she answered. The honey brown of her eyes seemed dulled and distant, unseeing almost. A terrifying gleam to see on the face of a child.

"The world doesn't stop spinning just because I'm a child, dad. There's too much to see in this world, too much to discover. I want to see and learn as much as possible before my time is over. You only live once, but life can end at any time."

Mr and Mrs Granger never questioned her again. They did their best to ensure she was well rested and never overextending herself. They made peace with the fact they would never understand their strange little girl, and hoped loving her with all their hearts would be enough.

What Hermione didn't say to her father, was the nagging need that pushed her to devour whatever knowledge she could. She'd read the nagging sensation was classified as paranoia, but she had no idea what she had to be paranoid about. The nagging tended to haunt her late at night when her brain would grow weary and tired. It caused the scar at the back of her neck to itch like crazy.

Hermione didn't dream, sleeping to her was closing her eyes and opening them hours later. If she did dream, all she ever saw was darkness, a floating void of black. Some nights, she thought she'd dreamed of sounds- odd little whispers that she could never properly hear. It only served in bringing her headaches as it was a puzzle she could never solve.

When she's eleven, a letter arrives with her name. She'd barely spared it a glance, but the nagging persisted and so she irately opened the thing. When she'd finished reading, it felt as if her world spun and everything suddenly made sense in her brain.

When her parents asked her what it said, Hermione beamed at them with a wide grin so childish it shocked them into silence.

"I'm a witch!" she proudly claimed.

Of course.

Everything made sense now.

"Don't be silly dear, you are no such thing," her mother had assured.

But Hermione beamed and persisted in her claim, shoving the letter before her parents with excitement.

"Of course, I am. Everything makes so much sense now. I'm a witch and I need to go to Hogwarts!"

Despite the doubt on her parent's faces, Hermione grinned and hurried to look over her library. She needed to read up on every book she owned that discussed magic. The nagging was more of a caressing urge and she embraced it with giddy excitement.

Hermione Granger had always known she was strange, but now she knew why.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter: Ron**

Ronald Billius Weasley hated the colour red.

An unfortunate reality to live through for a child born to a family of redheads.

The hatred he harboured for the colour unsettled his family, but they did their best to overlook such peculiar oddities in their youngest son.

He was the sixth child of seven but Mr and Mrs Weasley worried most for him out of their brood.

Ron did not like many things, unlike his siblings. He was quiet and broody, grumpy often and always snappish whenever he spotted a sibling tormenting another. It did not matter if Ron were in the attic or downstairs, somehow, he always knew if one of his siblings felt upset. Seconds later, all the Weasley household would hear his thundering stomps to put an end to whatever the situation was.

He did not make sense, but he was a Weasley.

When Ron was seven, Molly once found him bustling about in her kitchen. It was a sacred rule all the children had never thought to disobey. Only Molly was allowed within the space. But she could not bring herself to yell at her most peculiar son. Not when she spied how at peace he appeared.

Ronald Weasley was not known to smile often.

Ron puzzled his older siblings, as they never knew what or how to act towards the boy.

Bill remembered a baby Ron thunderously roaring out his unhappiness as a babe until he'd turned two. Of all his little siblings, Ron had the greatest temper tantrums. The day he fell silent with his roaring crying, Bill remembered panicking and thinking his brother had suddenly died.

Charlie would not forget the year Ron turned three. How could he when he could only stare with shock and amazement at how viciously three-year-old Ron protected nerdy Percy's books from the devil twins. To Charlie, Ron had acted like a mother dragon protecting her hoard. If he started calling Ron his thunder dragon brother, only Bill had known.

Percy also could not forget the year Ron turned three. The year he realised how fierce and wickedly sly his little brother truly was. Fred and George always targeted Percy for he was nothing like them, too studious and rule obedient. It hurt poor Percy but no matter their mischief he forgave them. He was ready to accept the dynamic to always be as such when it came to his younger twin brothers. He'd not expected Ron to disagree. It was both terrifying yet awe inspiring to witness three-year-old Ron give a mighty roar at the twins. He thundered and huffed, growled and howled until the twins cowered for mercy. Even when Mrs Weasley happened upon the scene and tried to mediate between the children, Ron refused to forgive the twins unless they swore a vow of kindness and love forevermore to Percy. It wasn't until Mr Weasley came home from work that the matter was settled. Mr Weasley heard Ron's childish explanation and suggested all the Weasley children share the vow.

It was a vow of loyalty, love, and never-ending support. A vow to always be true to one another in the face of dark times and hardships.

But the gods are always listening, and Mother Magic grinned at witnessing such a vow. To the shock and worry of Mr and Mrs Weasley, their pretend ceremony for their children was blessed by Magic. Yet their worries faded at witnessing the pure joy and bright delight Ron expressed once the deed had been done.

Fred and George both adored and feared for their younger brother. There was something about Ron that felt odd, as if he were only half of who he was meant to be. As if he was missing something especially important. For the twins, who shared everything, Ron was a cruel example of loss and unhappiness. It didn't make sense to anyone and they had long given up on explaining their irrational fear. Ron, with his rare smiles and constant grumbling, was the world's greatest wrong in the eyes of the twins. Yet, they loved their dragon like brother who acted strangely on full moons and passionately corralled their mischief if ever they overstepped. They loved him with all they had and aspired to one day be filled with thunderously fierce passion like their little brother. They strove to ensure one day, when Ron may need them, he will find them at his side, and he will smile at them wholesomely.

Although considered peculiar and temperamental, Ginny thought her big brother Ron to be worthy of worship. At the age of 10, Ginny thought Ron to be a hero, someone impressive in the making. She believed her big brother could conquer the world should he choose, perhaps even become a King. There was nothing Ron couldn't do in Ginny's eyes and she loved him just as fiercely as he loved them all. Ron was surly and hated most things, it took many efforts and schemes to see him smile, but he was loyal. A fighter who refused to see dreams discarded due to stupid ideals. Thanks to Ron, Ginny got her own broom and never suffered lectures on how ladies should behave. Thanks to Ron, Ginny enjoyed both gender dictated activities. He suffered through her tea parties, dolly games and dress ups with a scowl. He played quidditch and let her join in wrestling with the twins. Yet, what Ron did most that she loved, is that he talked with her and believed in her. Ginny kept no secrets from Ron and he always believed in her.

It is this great appreciation and love for their peculiar and odd brother, which saw the Weasley siblings meeting in secret for several months. It had been a plan long in the making. A collective effort to lure from their thunder dragon brother true happiness that would last. It took Bill four months of part time work with a local muggle building firm. It took Charlie several pet sitting and training sessions with animals both magical and muggle. Percy had sold several of his old books and was providing tutoring sessions for a few magical children. Whereas, the twins and Ginny had joined forces and gone treasure hunting. Together they found many odd Knick knacks of muggle and magical kind. Some of their findings they sold after fixing it with a mighty few sticking charms, the rest was handed to their father for his collection.

Together the Weasley siblings earned and saved a mighty amount of coin.

On his eleventh birthday, Ronald Billius Weasley woke to a loud parade in his room. There was fireworks whizzing about his head, with confetti bursting and flashing lights. There was fanfare music and outrageous singing orchestrated by the twins and Charlie. He watched with wide eyes as Bill slowly entered his room with a giant cake decorated in emerald green and honey brown, his two favourite colours. Percy had wrapped an arm around him, while Ginny snuggled into his other side. Behind his siblings Mr and Mrs Weasley looked teary eyed with both pride and love.

"Wha- What is going on?" Ron stammered unable to make sense of the chaos.

"It's your birthday Ronnie!" Mrs Weasley grinned.

"B-but I-"

"Come on Ron blow out the candles and make a wish we have the whole day to get through!" Charlie prompted with barely hidden excitement.

"What? But I told you I didn't want anything!" Ron grumpily argued.

The Weasley family were well used to Ron's grumpy persona to understand he wasn't truly unhappy. Percy gave a gentle pat to Ron's bed messed head and lightly scolded him.

"It's your birthday Ron, don't you know how old you are?"

Ron was puzzled, not knowing why this birthday should matter compared to the others. Ginny huffed and tugged at his shoulder roughly.

"You're eleven Ron! Your letter came!"

Ron was in shock as his father handed him his letter.

He had forgotten the importance of turning eleven and wondered how he managed such a thing. He read through the letter and found his eyes burning while his chest grew tighter. He looked all around at the red haired and freckled faces surrounding him. There was no describing the immense amount of emotion Ron felt in that moment. Again, Bill raised the cake closer and gave a gentle smile to his grumpy brother and urged him to make a wish.

Ron savoured the warm presence of his family around him, suddenly feeling tears stream down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and wished hard with all his might, begging whoever may be listening that his wish shall be granted. As he blew the candles out, the scar on the left of his chest itched briefly, but when he opened his eyes it had stopped.

It was only the morning, but the Weasley family felt successful all the same as Ron let out his first ever laugh. A sound they treasured and hoarded possessively in their minds. A sound that would ground them for many years to come.

~(*)\\(*)/(*)~

Change sighed as the final thread was done.

Fate screamed and viciously fought her binds but could do nothing as her destinies were re-shaped.

Magic and Death shared a smile as Life cursed.

Chaos grinned as Time stretched the threads of life for six Weasley children.

Now, the true games were to begin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter: Finding 9 ¾**

Harry waited by the wall between platform 9 and 10. Uncle Vernon had long left after driving him to the station. He didn't mind being left alone as he had his lovely owl Hedwig and a few candies from Dudley to tide him over. Professor McGonagall had warned him not to miss the train, so he requested to arrive early. But perhaps he was too early as the station was practically empty.

Until it wasn't.

Hermione spotted him immediately. She paid no mind to her parent's questions as she marched to where the boy was camped. The nagging eased the closer she got, and Hermione found herself so endlessly curious. The boy was small, much too skinny and in need of new clothes. He held himself close and looked rather squirrely with how his eyes darted restlessly about. When he noticed her approach and simply stared, Hermione found herself stopping in place.

"Hello," she blurted.

The boy said nothing, simply stared at her with emerald green orbs behind circular lens.

"I'm Hermione Granger, and you are?"

Harry swallowed nervously, feeling exposed before the bushy haired girl. She looked a little crazy if he was being honest. The wild volume of her hair around her face, the ink stains on her fingers and pencil behind her ear gave off such impression. She wore a crisp pressed blouse with a modest knee length skirt and polished black shoes. It was her eyes that really sold her as crazy. They appeared blank, unseeing, and dull.

But it was their honey brown colour that prompted him to speak.

"Harry, H-harry Potter."

Neither child noticed the shadowed figure watching from the sides.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

The Weasley family, notoriously known to always be late and harried on the 1st of September, were incredibly early this year. Mr and Mrs Weasley were unsure how this came about. Their morning had begun with its usual rush and chaos. Percy was frantically searching for his prefect badge, again, due to the twin's prank with angry tears forming in his eyes. Fred & George were heatedly arguing with their mother on why their experimental potions needed to be packed for Hogwarts more than clothes. Ginny was well into her yearly tantrum over being too young for Hogwarts and was being comforted by Mr Weasley.

So, it made no sense to the Weasley's at all as to how they arrived incredibly early to the station.

Percy had thought they'd be the last to board as he spotted less families than usual. The twins had been quiet with wonder and slight worry that they'd missed the train. Ginny was vindictively hopeful her brothers would be staying just a day more.

"Arthur?" Mrs Weasley questioned with worried confusion.

Mr Weasley could only gape and shrug his shoulders with no explanation. Only then did Ron take pity on his family and explain.

"I didn't want to start my first year at Hogwarts by being late, so I had Bill and Charlie charm the clocks yesterday," He grumbled with a stubborn scowl.

"You did what?" Mrs Weasley spluttered with shock.

The other Weasley's only gaped with mixed shock and mild respect. Ron had known it'd be useless to ask his siblings to sleep early or pack early so they wouldn't be late. He was aware of his family's habit to bicker and argue which always delayed their arrivals to anywhere. So, when Bill and Charlie wished him well and apologised for not being able to see him off, he guilt tripped them into charming the clocks and altering the wards and Dad's car.

Ron ensured to be detailed as possible with his requests, determined not to have anything ruin his plans. Bill and Charlie had been a little stunned by the request but eager once they realised it would be a huge prank on the family. If it were also because Ron had asked them specifically for help and no one else, Bill and Charlie wouldn't tell.

Ron had prepared for every possible delay he could think off. He'd pre-packed his own trunk, made a show of helping his mum with dinner and overdoing the portions. Which prompted Mrs Weasley to use the leftovers for lunch on the train, and out of 'guilt' Ron offered to prep it that night rather than let her do it in the morning. He goaded the Twins and Ginny into one last quidditch game before dinner and left Charlie to tire them out. After dinner Fred, George and Ginny were too tired to stay up late and slept early.

Ron waited until everyone was asleep before he crept out of his room. Silently as he could, he organised the house in a specific way. He left Percy's books by the stairs, peeking out enough to be spotted by anyone on the fifth to last step. He left the car keys on the table on top of the ready-made lunch. He bundled the Twins Hogwarts robes in a messy heap over the sofa next to Ginny's favourite toy quaffle. He cleared the barn entrance and finished working on his goodbye gift to Ginny just before sunrise.

Sure, Ron sacrificed his sleep, only managing 2 hours, but it was worth it.

After his casual explanation, Ron looked up only to find his family staring at him with wide eyed wonder.

"What?" he scowled as his ears grew hot.

Fred and George started to slowly clap, their eyes growing starry eyed with pure joy. They only stopped when Mrs Weasley whacked them quick and swift before snatching Ron into a tight cuddle. Ron yelped and whined, weakly fighting her hold. Percy had turned on the twins berating them for causing a scene as a few families watched them with nosy interest.

When Ron finally pulled free from his mum, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to his dad. Mr Weasley smiled down at him proudly causing him even more embarrassment.

"You're going to do simply fine in Hogwarts. I'm so proud of you son."

Ron did not want to cry, and his scar itched again, so he stubbornly huffed and looked down at his shoes with a mumbled thanks. Only to get punched in the arm by Ginny.

"Ginny! What was that for?" he growled.

She glared at him hotly and punched him again.

"You could have asked me instead of Bill or Charlie. I would have helped. Why didn't you ask?" she snapped

Ron opened his mouth to explain but Ginny already stomped away from him. He knew she was angry, expected it really, so he only sighed with resignation. Mr Weasley offered to talk to her for him, but Ron shook his head.

"She's mad, I'll let her cool off. We've got ages before we gotta board, no need to rush."

Percy made a huffy sound of glee and clapped him on the shoulder fondly.

"Very proud of you Ron. Already proving to be quite the driven student. You'll do McGonagall proud. Keep this up and you'll earn yourself a badge too."

The twins started on Percy about being a prefect again, but Ron said nothing, just slouched and rolled his eyes. He noticed his mother happily standing in line as she scanned the menu of one of the cafes. She had always wistfully imagined lining up and purchasing something small. It was a silly insecurity, but Mrs Weasley always thought only the most organized parents could relax or purchase something from the cafes. Though neither her nor Arthur were fond coffee drinkers, she bought two small cups.

Ron had never seen his mother look so… at peace before.

"Look, better watch it Percy," Fred slyly hissed while elbowing Percy's left side.

"Yeah, Yeah! Little Ronnie is stealing your place as Mum's favourite child," George piped from Percy's right.

Ron scowled as the heat in his ears spread over his freckly face. But Percy didn't get mad or appear ruffled. He puffed out his chest proudly and clapped Ron's shoulders again.

"A title I'll happily give to Ronald. With Bill and Charlie no longer living at home, I'll need someone to carry the title when it's my turn to leave. Obviously, you two were never an option."

"Oi!" The twins yelped with offense, but Percy had already walked away with a smug swagger to his step.

Ron ducked his head and hurried away from the twins. While he loved his brothers, they were horribly embarrassing and so shamelessly loud. It didn't help that they were all red heads and impossible to miss.

Finally, a safe distance away, he looked about curiously. He spotted his family with ease and rubbed at his scar absently. There was something about King's cross that unsettled Ron, something he couldn't explain. But seeing his family happy and at ease helped calm his mind.

Ron was about to join his Mum when a sharp pain in his chest caused him to double over. It was unbearable and insistent. He'd always had bad heart burn at the oddest of moments. He'd been told it had something to do with his scar, a magical infection or something. Usually it was bearable, but this was rather intense.

Ron stumbled about not knowing where he was heading only that the pain eased a bit as he did. He was slouched against the wall among the shadows near the entrance to platform 9 and 10. The pain in his chest eased and was all but forgotten as Ron stared at the two children across from him.

The boy was scrawny, looking rather underfed while drowning in clothes too large for his frame. He had wild dark locks that looked unkept like they'd never experienced a comb. But Ron was drawn to the boy's eyes. They were hidden behind huge circular lens and a poisoning shade of green. The girl gave the opposite impression, with her prim and proper posture while her hair rivalled a lions mane. Ron thought she looked a bit haughty.

They didn't notice him as they introduced themselves.

"I'm Hermione Granger, and you are?"

"Harry, H-harry Potter."

Ron's scar grew unbearably itchy, only calming once Ron stepped towards the children. He can't explain why he does it only that it felt right. Despite how obviously rude he'd be, Ron inserted himself into the conversation with little care.

"And I'm Ronald Weasley, but everyone calls me Ron."

Two pairs of eyes turn to him with hostile distrust. It causes a shiver to run down Ron's back but his lips twist upwards in a smile. Eyes of honey brown and emerald green, his two favourite shades, roam his skin like sharp blades. Ron feels his heart skip while his cheeks ache from how widely they stretch.

"Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop," Hermione snaps coldly.

Ron meets the dull unseeing intensity of her stare and laughs. The swoop in his stomach is unlike something he's ever felt in his life.

"So? Don't you know its rude to stare," he banters back.

Harry laughs and the sound is so unexpected all three children blink at each other in shock. The air around them should feel uncomfortable and awkward. They are strangers who have never met and yet, the ease they feel for one another is unnatural.

"Do you know how to get to platform 9 and ¾?" Harry blurts.

Hermione huffs at how easily Harry accepts Ron's interruption. She turns to Ron with an expectant squint and the red-haired boy grins.

"Yeah, yeah, course I do. Stick with me and I'll get my mum to help sort you's out."

Harry slouches with obvious relief and shyly looks to Ron with gratitude.

"Thanks. I wasn't sure. I've never been to Hogwarts before."

"Neither have I. Although, I'm sure my parents and I would have figured it out eventually."

Ron and Harry don't know why, but they don't doubt the girl.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Ron leads Harry and Hermione over to where his family lounge. To their delight Mr and Mrs Granger are already in deep conversation with Mrs Weasley. Ron doesn't really introduce his siblings to his newly made friends. He doesn't get the chance as his nosy siblings introduce themselves with a rather manic energy.

Hermione doesn't say much only humming or unnervingly staring at Ron's siblings jokes and questions.

Harry meekly attempts to respond but finds himself overwhelmed by their persistence.

Ron constantly growls, scolds and huffs at his brothers for their embarrassment.

But the three children stick close to one another and never stray too far.

This, of course, is only noticed by the Weasley siblings who feel an odd twisting sensation grow in chests. A sensation that only worsens when they spy the slight twitch Ron's lips give at something Harry whispers to Hermione.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter: The Boy-Who-Lived.**

Harry excuses himself from the group. He feels a little bit overwhelmed by all the attention Hermione and Ron's parents give him. Grown ups don't usually give Harry much attention. He's long made peace with it and prefers it that way. He doesn't try to say goodbye to Ron's siblings either. The older boys make him nervous and the youngest red head had completely ignored him.

"I'll see you on the train, Harry," Ron grumbles as he tries to get Ginny to loosen her grip around his torso.

"Uh, yeah? I-I mean, we're both going to Hogwarts...?" Harry awkwardly responds.

Ron looks at him like he's said something funny, but Harry has no clue what it could have been. Ron huffs out another laugh and shakes his head at Harry.

"Well of course, mate. Just go save us some seats while I deal with this one. I'm fairly sure Hermione will be done before me at this rate."

The casual ease in Ron's tone has Harry's tummy flipping with budding hope. He can't help but desperately wish this means Ron wants to sit with him. Harry had been nervous about Hogwarts and just a little bit afraid he'd make no friends. Dudley certainly hadn't helped this morning by musing how funny it would be if Harry were too 'normal' to go to his freak school.

Harry hurried onto the train and found an empty compartment. He stared out the window anxiously and just a little bit excited. He found his eyes glued to where the Grangers and Weasleys stood. The longer he watched them the darker his mood seemed to shift. He pressed closer against the glass and strained his ears to listen.

"You take extra good care of yourself, darling. Don't go getting too lost in those books of yours again," Mr Granger warned with a fond smile.

"It's Hermione, dearest. Don't go getting all hopeful on a lost cause," Mrs Granger giggled with a teasing roll of her eyes.

Hermione mimicked her mother but wore an impatient frown instead.

"I'll be fine. I'll be sure to write every week at the least. But it's magic school so don't get too mad if I forget," Hermione sighs.

Mr and Mrs Granger smile lovingly at their daughter, not upset in the slightest. It was obvious to anyone watching that the two were proud of their rather strange daughter. In her own way, Hermione must share a similar fondness. Although it was rather hard to tell with her dull stares and snippy tone.

Harry turned to watch the Weasleys next, his chest growing uncomfortably tight.

Mrs Weasley was fussing over the older more pompous looking boy. Mr Weasley was giving a cheerful warning to the twins, but all five were subtly watching the younger duo.

"Ginny, you're going to have to let me go at some point!" Ron huffed as he fruitlessly tried to free himself from his sister's octopus grip.

"No! I don't want to. If you're going to Hogwarts then I'm coming too," Ginny passionately declared.

"Ginerva Weasley, you stop this tantrum of yours right now!" Mrs Weasley scolded with an embarrassed blush to her cheeks.

Ginny ignored her mother and clung tighter to her brother. The teary glaze to her eyes seemed to soften her Mother's ire. Oddly, the rest of her older brothers made no move to help Ron free himself. They looked rather happy to leave Ginny to her dramatics.

"Ginny…" Ron sighed before lowering his left hand on top of her head.

Harry pressed closer to hear Ron's whispered words to his sister.

"I know you don't want to wait another year, but that's how things are. It might feel like it'll take ages, but I bet you won't even notice I'm gone by next week."

Ginny growled but pulled back from Ron to glare at him.

"Of course, I'll notice. How could I not! Who's gonna play chess with me or cut the crusts of my sandwiches the way I like it? Who's gonna play quidditch with me and throw mud in my face?" Ginny whined.

"Why is Ron the only one you let throw mud at you?" George interrupted with mock outrage.

"There, there Gin. I'll throw mud at you if you want," Fred offered with a smirk.

Ron glared at them as Ginny let out another agonised cry and clung to him tightly once again. He gave Percy a grateful nod for scolding Fred and George which made the prefect preen smugly. Ignoring his brothers once again, Ron sighed and pushed Ginny back to stare her deep in the eyes.

"What's bugging you really Gin? You weren't like this when Bill, Charlie or the other three went."

Ginny scowled and mumbled her words into his shirt. There was a shaky tremble in her words when she spoke, but everyone still heard her clearly.

"I don't want you to forget about me. You're gonna go to Hogwarts and have all kinds of fun. You'll make loads of friends and I'll be stuck at home helping Mum with chores and knitting! It's not fair at all! I could say goodbye to everyone else because you'd always be staying home with me, but this time you're not."

"Oh sweetheart…." Mrs Weasley whispered with sympathy.

But Mr Weasley held her back from trying to comfort their daughter. They all watched as Ron gave another heavy sigh with a frown on his lips. He thumped Ginny on the head hard enough to be felt but not to hurt. He ignored the cry she gave and levelled an unimpressed glare at her.

"Enough of that. You're no cry baby Gin. You're going to be fine. I'll write you almost every day, often enough you'll get sick of hearing from me. Forget you? How the bloody hell will I just forget I have a little sister? Merlin, Gin must you be so dramatic?"

Ginny shoved Ron feeling embarrassed and petulant as the twins teased her. Percy even seemed amused. She felt her cheeks flush a hot red and folded her arms with a glare.

"Fine! Go on then. Hurry up and get on the train and go."

Ron sighed rather sullenly before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

"You can be such a brat sometimes, you know that? Here."

Once again, Ron had the attention of all his family. Ginny reached for the offered paper and looked to him for an explanation.

"I was gonna leave you to miss me for the first night and send it tomorrow. But I'll just give it to you now if it'll stop your sulking."

"What is it?" the twins nosily pestered as they attempted to snatch it from Ginny's hands.

Ginny was quicker to keep it from them and protectively cradled it to her chest. She didn't anticipate Percy being just as curious. Before she could throw another fit, Ron snatched it from Percy and glared at his older brothers warningly.

"Oi! It's not for any of you prats. It's for Ginny alone."

"Unfair! Why is only Ginny getting a gift?" Fred demanded.

"She's already a spoiled little imp!" George added.

"Ahem, we were only curious Ronald. You're hardly the type to give gifts without reason," Percy rationalised.

"Boys. It's Ron's gift to Ginny if he doesn't want to share then he won't." Mr Weasley sternly warned.

Ron rolled his eyes at how annoyingly overzealous his brothers could get. They loved to complain about Ginny but all of them were equally obnoxious when given the opportunity. Bill and Charlie were the worse.

"It's nothing big. I just figured Ginny would get kind of bored this year, seeing as we'll be at Hogwarts. I got the idea from a Muggle book Percy bought me. I tried to make it as difficult as possible so it could last the whole year. Although, if you get too stuck you can always owl me for hints or clues."

Ginny unfolded the paper and her eyes brightened with excitement.

"It's a treasure map! Oh Ron, you made me a treasure hunt! You're the best brother ever!"

Suddenly the youngest red head seemed manic with excitement and wouldn't stop bouncing in place. She ambushed Ron with another tight squeeze before turning to her other brothers and smugly flaunting her treasure map in their faces. While his siblings argued and bickered with each other, Mr Weasley and Mrs Weasley squished Ron between them in a tight hug.

"Mum! Dad! Please, this is humiliating!" he protested but they only hugged him tighter.

"You make us so proud Ron. So, so proud," Mrs Weasley near wept.

Harry forced himself to look away, unable to watch the scene any longer. The tightness in his chest was unbearable and his stomach twisted with heavy discomfort. Oh, how Harry envied the red-haired boy so obviously loved by his parents. He tried to imagine his red-haired mother cuddling him close and whispering similar words, but the fantasy hurt.

Harry envied the Weasley and Grangers for their obvious deep love for one another. Especially so when he remembered Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's pointed ignorance of his existence. To them Harry was invisible. Only Dudley ever bothered to acknowledge him and even then, their conversations were short whispered sentences in the dead of night.

Harry leaned back into his seat, closed his eyes, and desperately tried to pretend he didn't exist.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

The train had finally left the station and was chugging along the tracks. Harry had fallen victim to the lull of the train's motions and resigned himself to a lonely ride.

"Finally! There you are Harry, you won't believe how busy the train is," Ron exclaimed as he slid the compartment door open.

Harry startled at the unexpected sound, looking wide eyed and squirrely. Ron tripped forward as Hermione shoved him so she could enter as well.

"Did you have to block the entire entry? Goodness. Hello Harry," she huffed while sending a dull glare in response to Ron's cheeky smirk.

"Oh? I-I, sorry?" Harry awkwardly responded having thought they'd forgotten about him.

"s'alright mate. Took us awhile to get through the crowd. Everybody's going crazy trying to be the first to meet the boy-who-lived."

"Who?" Harry asked with a confused scrunch of his brows.

He did not expect to be stared at intently with alarmed expressions by the two other children.

In another world, Harry Potter would've learned of his fame thanks to an honest and well-meaning half giant. This was not the case in this reality. Harry had learned of his mother and father's murder at the hand of a mad wizard from his Aunt and nothing more. When shopping for his school needs no one had dared to approach or whisper about the boy-who-lived. All were too scared and intimidated by Professor McGonagall's stern glares and protective guard around the boy.

"How could you possibly not know?" Hermione blurted with visible shock.

"Is he someone famous?" Harry hesitantly guessed.

Ron's mouth dropped open with shock and he quickly locked their compartment door with a sharp click. Hermione settled across from Harry with a steely expression on her young face. Ron stayed close by the door, almost as if he were guarding it. As Harry listened to Hermione's impromptu lecture on all she knew about Voldemort and the boy-who-lived, Ron studied his two new acquaintances.

Ron did not expect this much excitement on his first day. He'd not even made it to Hogwarts yet. He also didn't expect to make his first set of friends so quickly. Hermione was a bit much with her intense staring and pretentious lectures, but Ron lived with Percy, so he didn't mind. He couldn't make sense of the thrill he felt every time she grew annoyed at him. However, there was something about Harry that triggered something in Ron; An extreme urge to care for the boy and guard him like he would Ginny.

The red head didn't care about the boy-who-lived and from the way Hermione spoke she was more interested in the history of his moniker than the boy himself. But neither of them expected Harry to know nothing about his fame or magical heritage.

"Are you sure nobody had told you?" Hermione curiously inquired.

Ron saw Harry's left brow tick and his lips twist into an angry scowl.

"Of course, I didn't know. Do I look like someone who knew he was famous?" Harry snapped.

Ron couldn't help but grin at the fiery ire in Harry's eyes. It was the most lively the boys been since they'd first met. To Hermione's credit, she didn't flinch or cower under Harry's sharp words and rather ungrateful response. She stared at Harry with her dull eyes and drearily retorted.

"Well don't get snippy with me for your own ignorance. If you'd bothered to do a bit of research on Hogwarts at the least, you would have come across it eventually."

Harry glared at the girl and sarcastically gave his response.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my mistake. Obviously after finding out I have magic and my parents were murdered my first thought should have been 'wow I wonder if I'm famous'."

Hermione's expression grew pinched, but Ron couldn't stop himself from barking out a laugh. It earned him glares from both, but he felt little guilt.

"Come on, Hermione. He's got a point you know."

Hermione huffed and folded her arms grumpily while Harry straightened with validation. Ron shook his head and settled down next to Harry with a friendly grin.

"I guess we both just assumed you knew. Harry Potter's not a name you casually hear being thrown about. He's a big deal in this world and I'm sorry to tell you mate but that's a fact of wizarding life. Hell, Dad told Gin and I bedtime stories about you for as long as I can remember."

Harry scowled looking both upset and desperate.

"I don't even know how I survived that night!"

Ron nudged Harry sympathetically and hoped it gave the boy some form of comfort.

"It sucks but what can you do," he shrugged.

Hermione snorted and piped up with that haughty tone of hers once more.

"In my opinion the reason for your fame is totally ridiculous. I mean, honestly, praising a baby as a hero just because he survived a killing curse. You don't see much mention given to Lily Potter's sacrifice or James Potter's valiant attempt to protect his family."

Ron squinted at the girl doubtfully and warily voiced his question.

"How'd you hear about that? I don't remember any book mentioning a sacrifice or anything else other than Voldemort dying because of a baby."

Hermione blinked and tilted her head at him, almost daringly and drawled out her response.

"It's written in the subtext, obviously."

Harry snorted and rolled his eyes with a glower.

"Oh yeah, obviously."

Ron grinned at the glasses wearing boy and nudged him once again.

"Who cares anyway, right? It's not like anyone knows what you look like. If you don't want anyone to know just introduce yourself as Harry."

Harry still looked rather glum which bothered Ron. Ron looked over to Hermione for a bit of help, but the girl just stared back at him. Now it was Ron's turn to roll his eyes. Merlin, did these two have any people skills at all? He wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulders and gave his best smile.

"I don't want to be famous," Harry confessed.

"But you are," Hermione helpfully reminded prompting a groan from Ron.

"Honestly can't you read the room?" Ron scowled at the girl, but she didn't apologise.

Hermione leaned forward and ensured Harry was paying attention to her before speaking.

"You're Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, but that's not _all_ you are."

Harry snorted clearly not assured in the slightest.

"Then who am I?" he almost sneered.

Ron shortly squeezed Harry's shoulder and grinned brightly.

"You're just Harry."

It took Harry a few moments to digest their words. But eventually, a small almost shy smile appeared on his lips. The recently acquainted trio idly chatted about themselves, trying to better know one another.

Hermione spoke of her home-schooling and favourite muggle authors. Harry had gawked when he realised just how advanced she was for her age in the muggle world. Ron obviously had no clue and from the glare Hermione gave him, she didn't want it known. Harry inwardly snorted and wished the girl luck in trying to hide it. With her attitude, everyone would know before the train even made it to the station.

Ron told them about his life as the sixth child of seven. Neither Hermione nor Harry could imagine life with such a huge family. However, it was obvious Ron was proud of his family. He all but bragged about his brother Bill being a curse breaker. He casually recounted to them Charlie's letter about a wicked new scar he'd got while training his first dragon.

"I suppose you've met the others. Percy's a bit of a stick in the mud but he's gonna work for the ministry. Wouldn't be surprised if he tries for Minister seeing as he's already campaigning for Head boy. Fred and George may seem like goofs but they're crazy imaginative! They want to open a joke shop. And, well, you all met Ginny. You've gotta be mental to try and stop her from getting whatever she wants."

It might have been the casual way Ron spoke about his siblings as if his words were simple facts. Maybe it was the obvious pride in his voice or the soft gleam in his eyes. Whatever the case, Hermione, and Harry jealously listened and envied Ron's siblings for having someone so supportive as a brother.

"And what about you?" Hermione pressed

Ron looked at her with a confused expression.

"What about me?"

"What do you want to be? Surely you've given it some thought considering all your siblings?" Hermione elaborated.

With both Harry and Hermione looking at him expectantly, Ron felt like squirming. He felt his scar grow a bit itchy again while his mood started to darken. He mulishly gave a quick reply before hastily changing the subject.

"Dunno, hadn't thought about it. Anyway, my mum packed some lunch for the trip. Do you two want to share? The trolley's supposed to come about soon if you're not interested in leftovers."

Hermione frowned and looked ready to push the subject, but Harry glared at her sharply. She pursed her lips and remained quiet while Harry happily indulged in Ron's offer to share.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Lee Jordan had long resigned himself to mischief and trouble throughout his Hogwarts years the day he met the Weasley twins. It was an inevitable fate really, as sharing a dorm with the two left him little choice in the matter. Not that he was complaining as life without the Weasley twins would have been unbearably dull. He'd come to love the surprise and chaos the two tended to wrought.

"You two have been suspiciously quiet this trip. Come on then, spill it. What are you planning?" Katie demanded after cooing over his spider.

She wasn't wrong, Fred and George were rather subdued. The two boys were doing their creepy mind reading thing. A talent Lee sometimes envied them for having as twins. Sometimes he wished he were a twin too, only so he could bond so tightly with someone.

"Sorry," they apologised.

"Our little brother's somewhere on the train-"Fred started.

"- and we haven't checked in on him," George finished.

"Another Weasley to join the house of lions. Bless your mother for being so strong." Angelina mused prompting giggles from the rest of them.

"Wouldn't bet on that if I were you," George countered with an amused grin on his lips.

"Yeah, little Ronnie is full of surprises. If you ask me, he could probably get into any house he wanted." Fred snickered.

His comment inspired interest from everyone in their compartment.

"Even Slytherin? Blimey, imagine Snape's face if that happened," Alicia joked.

But Lee could very much imagine it. The rest of Hogwarts loved to gossip and complain all they liked about the Weasley family. They enjoyed snickering and mocking the family for their poverty and second-hand robes. But no one gave any real attention to their talent.

It's like they forget Bill Weasley had earned himself an apprenticeship with the Goblins for curse breaking. As if Charlie Weasley hadn't been immediately pulled from Hogwarts for an internship in Romania at the largest dragon reserve in Wizarding Europe. Everyone knew Percy Weasley was a strait-laced ruler who never gave an inch of lee way when it came to guidelines and laws. But no one wondered why Fred and George, notorious pranksters, **_never_** got caught or suspended. Lee knew the twins were sneaky and cunning, but if Percy really wanted to, he would have ended their nonsense years ago.

From his own personal experience, Hogwarts seriously underestimated just how terrifying Percy Weasley could be when he wanted. Seriously, being friends with Fred and George was not a decision Lee had made lightly.

Now another Weasley was soon to grace Hogwarts and Lee leaned forward with curious anticipation.

"Your brother you say? Is this the grumpy quiet one who always looked like he'd rather be anywhere but waiting for you at the station?"

"Yup, that's our little Ronnie," Fred grinned with obvious delight.

"The family's one and only little grouch." George boasted.

Lee suddenly realised just who they were talking about. There was no mistaking it. As the girls laughed, Lee was far too eager to meet the twins infamous 'little Ronnie'.

"Do you mind if I come with you when you go to check on him?" He eagerly asked.

"Why do you look so excited? He's only a first year," Katie wondered with a shake of her head.

Lee didn't answer just grinned widely.

Of course, they didn't know about 'Little Ronnie Weasley'.

Lee only knew because of the many sleepless nights he suffered due to the twins' late-night inventing and experimenting. Lee had always marvelled at the twins passion for pranking. He was well-aware that it was not just a hobby for them. But he hadn't known, until a messed-up experiment with a truth potion, why they'd dedicated their lives to such a thing.

_"Little Ronnie never smiles you know, Lee" Fred had drunkenly slurred._

_"He's not broken, just incomplete!" George continued with an uncharacteristic frown._

_"We barely ever get to hear him laugh," they had whispered before falling asleep._

Lee might have developed a bit of an obsession with the Weasley family because of this. But he couldn't help it, not when they were so intriguing. How could he ignore them when each of them were so incredibly talented?

So of course, he was eager to meet the infamously grouchy little Ronnie who unknowingly fuelled his twin brothers passionate drive to bring laughter into the world. Lee always wondered just what kind of person could inspire such a thing and hoped to find an answer after meeting him.

Fred and George sized him up briefly before allowing Cheshire grins to appear on their faces.

"Sure, you can," they chirped, and Lee felt equal amounts of excitement and nervousness.

If Percy Weasley had been terrifyingly overprotective regarding the twins; he pitied the brave fools who'd befriend dearest 'little Ronnie'. He just knew Fred & George were going to be vicious little shits.

But Lee supposed that was the price one had to pay to when befriending a Weasley.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

The trio of first years were in the middle of an intense discussion regarding the best kind of pets. Well, debate really, in the case of Ron and Hermione.

"A rat is nothing compared to a cat Ron Weasley!"

"Of course not, it's a rat! Cats are a whole different species," Ron shrugged causing the girl to near growl with frustration.

"If you agree with me then why are you arguing with me!?"

Harry nibbled on the liquorice wand he bought from the trolley and watched the two argue. Ron smirked and, rather coolly in Harry's opinion, opened his chocolate frog. Before the frog could leap, Ron had snatched it quick and swift.

"Because it's fun," the red head grinned before biting the head of the frog with a loud crunch.

Harry snickered as Hermione's hair frizzed up even more.

"Oh, shut up Harry," Hermione sniped with a roll of her eyes.

Despite her irritation, she easily accepted the cauldron cake Harry shoved her way as a peace offering. Ron had been in the middle of explaining how he got his pet rat when the lock on their compartment door opened with a click and slid open with a loud slam.

"There you are!" the twins sang with Cheshire grins.

The duo gave the compartment a quick scan and were pleased to note the startled shock on Hermione and Harry's faces. Their pleasure dimmed a little at seeing the unhappy glare Ron levelled at them from his protective stance in front of his friends.

"Bloody Hell! Are you two trying to give us a heart attack or what?" Ron demanded.

"But we were looking for you Ronnie!" George simpered while Fred plonked down beside Hermione.

Harry warily scooted closer to the window looking extremely uncomfortable under Fred's intense gaze. George curled his arm around Ron and settled in between Harry and Ron. All of this only caused Ron's scowl to darken further.

"Percy would murder us if he heard we didn't check in on you at least once," George continued.

Fred leaned close to Harry and Hermione comically whispering to them with an unnerving smile.

"Completely butchered. Nobody would ever find our bodies. You know how it is, overprotective brothers and all."

Hermione stiffly twisted her head so she could stare Fred dead in the eye.

"We wouldn't know, Harry and I are only children," she crisply replied.

Harry felt the need to keep one hand on his wand when Fred's rather cool gaze turned back to him.

"Hm… pity that," yet his tone sounded equally mocking as it was sincere.

Harry found himself glaring apprehensively while his temper started to spark again.

"Oi! What are you whispering about over there?" Ron snarled as he fought free from George's fussing.

"Nothing!" Fred chirped but Ron wasn't fooled by his angelic façade.

"Fred? George? Merlin, it's a circus out there. I always forget how crowded the train can get each year. Oh? Hello, we've never properly met before. Lee Jordan."

Ron narrowed his eyes at the older boy and the frown on his lips tugged lower. It gave the twins the perfect distraction to turn their attention to the two ickle firsties their little Ronnie seemed so enamoured by.

Neither twin were mighty impressed. The girl looked like a stiff priss and the boy a scrawny runt, but for whatever reason their little Ronnie had claimed them as friends. Why? What could have caught their grouchy little brother's favour?

"So, Harry, was it? Looking forward to Hogwarts? Never got to ask you earlier," George inquired with a friendly smile.

Fred couldn't see Harry's left hand and inwardly praised the kid for being on guard. He doubted the first year knew a lick of magic but still, at least he could identify a threat when he saw one. Even the girl seemed to understand the situation at hand. Fred begrudgingly had to credit Ron for choosing a suspicious lot.

The real question would be how loyal they'd be to their little Ronnie. He supposed only time would tell.

"Who wouldn't be excited!? Everyone's talking about it you know. The great boy-who-lived starts Hogwarts this year. He's somewhere on this train, even." Fred enthusiastically cried.

Harry visibly tensed and Fred knew George's eyes shared the same gleam of amusement as his own.

"You'll be sharing classes with him. Wow, lucky bunch you are," George continued looking rather jealous.

"Do you think he remembers what You-know-who's face looked like?" Fred curiously added.

Harry started to squirm, but George and Fred pretended not to see.

"Better yet, do you think he'd say yes to a picture?"

"Or even an autograph?"

Fred's right hand was sneaking into his pocket for their special little gift only to stiffen with surprise. He felt the telling tip of a wand press into his skin and met the rather cold glare of the girl beside him. Fred stared into those eyes and felt as if his soul was being stripped to it's bare bones.

"I'm sure the _three_ of us will decide on our own what to think about the boy-who-lived."

Fred couldn't help but be impressed by the balls of this little firstie. He looked over to George and found his twin suffering under a piercing green glare just as frosty. Suddenly, Fred and George understood their little Ronnie's interest a little bit more.

"Well then, this year is sure to be interesting. Don't you think Forge?"

"Oh yes, very interesting Gred."

"Great!" a very irritated voice sneered from behind the twins.

Fred and George wore their best pouts and puppy eyes when they turned. Unfortunately for them, Ron wasn't in the slightest affected. The younger redhead glared angrily at his brothers while Lee watched with a mix of awe and laughter.

"Now, if you bloody gits are right done threatening my friends, could you bugger off?"

"But Ronnie-"Fred whined

"It's tradition!" George finished.

Ron only rolled his eyes and started tugging George and Fred out. Over the Weasley's dramatics, Lee managed to have a quick word with Harry and Hermione.

"Don't let them get to you. It really is a Weasley tradition. Percy was just as bad when I met him. So long as you take care of your Weasley, they'll take care of you."

Hermione and Harry didn't relax in the slightest. Lee inwardly grinned. Oh, these two were extremely smart, Fred, George and Percy were going to hate it. This year was going to be amazing. Little Ronnie sure knew how to pick them.

"Come on Lee, lets go before little Ronnie starts to roar," Fred laughed.

But before Ron could shut the compartment door and lock it, George forced it open to say one last thing.

"Oh, and Potter?"

The three first years tensed immediately while Fred's laughter sang out behind his twin. Harry had never once given his last name to Ron's siblings at the station. George's smile looked both sinister and wicked with glee.

"There's a little blond ferret going door to door searching for you. Thought you'd like a bit of a warning before introductions are made. Be seeing you."

With one last laugh, the Weasley twins disappeared.

Ron let out suffering groan and fell back into his seat with a sulky expression.

"Merlin they can be such insufferable prats."

Harry and Hermione didn't say anything to that, but Ron didn't let it get to him. Their earlier comfortable atmosphere now felt awkward and stiff. Ron made a mental note to get back at the twins later. For now, he focused his attention on his two friends.

"Forget about them. Either of you still want to meet Scabbers?"

Harry took a deep breath and nodded while Hermione scowled before snootily mumbling her words.

"I still think Rats are disgusting."

Just for the hell of it, Ron started another debate with the girl. He didn't smile again until he heard Harry give quiet snicker while Hermione's eyes grew just a little bit brighter.

* * *

_**Soo...thoughts about the changes so far?** _


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last quick update.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted chapters now in sync with FF.net.

**Chapter: Neville Longbottom.**

Augusta Longbottom had a reputation and a name.

They called her many things, but to one boy he knew her only as Gran.

"Neville? Great Merlin, where are you?"

"Oof, I-I'm here Gran."

Augusta stared irately down at the boy before her with mud spotted pants and plum red cheeks. He had his head ducked low as he tried to hide his muddy hands behind his back. Augusta narrowed her eyes at her grandson and wondered how he came to be so shy. Frank was never so bashful, in fact, at this age he had run her ragged with his wild antics. All done in the name of bold curiosity and daring adventure.

"What have I told you about tracking dirt into the mansion? Should I even bother mentioning you wasting time in the gardens again?" she scolded with a scowl.

"Sorry Gran. I lost track of time." Neville sullenly apologised.

Augusta sighed as she looked her grandson over.

"Why am I not surprised? If you spent less time fawning over your weeds and more time on your magic, you would have shown an ounce of spark by now."

Augusta turned her back to the boy and wistfully marvelled at the portrait of her son and his wife. The laughing couple dressed in fine robes on the day of their wedding, so full of life and opportunity. A deep ache of sorrow and heart break thrummed in her chest at the sight.

"You know my Frank, your father, had no trouble with his magic."

With her eyes misty with nostalgia, Augusta did not see how Neville hugged himself with his muddy hands and shamefully kept his head low.

Neville Longbottom peeked through his lashes and stared at his parents portrait. Unlike his Grandmother, his eyes grew cloudy with tears and misery. A wistful yearning to know the depicted individuals and a desperate want to hear the laughter the picture performed. He listened to his grandmother's story for what was most likely the sixteenth time this week. Again, Neville felt his chest tighten with shame as he was reminded yet again of all the ways he was nothing like his father.

*Snap*

"Lippy tells Mistress, guests arrive."

Augusta snaps at the house elf for interrupting her tale but straightens herself in preparation to host. Neville cringes away from his grandmother's fierce glare of disapproval as she eyes his messy state.

"Lippy, do help my grandson look presentable. I will not have him seen by our guests until then."

"Yes Mistress."

"He shall wear blue. It will suit him well. Alice always did shine brightest in blue."

"Yes Mistress. Lippy will dress young Master in blue."

Neville said nothing and obediently followed Lippy.

Neville studied his reflection with slumped shoulders and shiny eyes. The blue of his robes brightening the brown of his eyes and complimenting the subtle blonde highlights of his hair. Lippy clapped her hands encouragingly.

"Young Master looks most handsome, he does."

But Neville didn't smile or thank her for the compliment. Instead he slouched lower and miserably trudged downstairs to where he could hear his Grandmother entertain their guests.

At the age of nine, Neville Longbottom was aware he was nothing like his parents.

Too shy, too meek, too quiet.

Too much of a squib.

Neville hoped the blue of his robes would be bright enough for everyone to forget his squib nature, just this once.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"I must tell you, Augusta, it was indeed such a shock. When little Sarah refused to come down all I could do was leash her to my side so she wouldn't float away," Aunt Helen shared with a laugh.

On cue, the entire table burst into laughter. All except a deceptively composed Augusta and her shrinking grandson to her left. Neville spooned at his soup despite feeling a loss of appetite.

"My word, barely out of infant hood and already showing such spark. Best watch her carefully Helen, magic like that will only grow stronger with age," Uncle Edgar warned as he twirled his moustache end and elbowed Uncle Devon with a wink.

"Hm… indeed, I suppose it is rather impressive…." Augusta listlessly complimented before sipping at her goblet of wine.

Neville could smell the sweet scent and knew it was one of her more special brew. He knew his grandmother only drank this kind when she was particularly moody. He sank deeper into his seat and gave up pretending to eat all together. To his utter dismay the laughter of their guests had shifted into stares of expectation targeted towards him. Neville felt his cheeks burn with mortification and dread.

"And how about you Neville? Any luck with your magic since our last visit?" Aunt May softly inquired.

Neville trembled in his seat and glanced towards his Gran. She only stared down at him impassively, leaving him to answer the question on his own.

"U-uh, I-I haven't-…erm…." Neville saw how his Gran's eyes seemed to cloud with disappointment before she swallowed another gulp of her wine.

"What! Still? Merlin's hell, have you not been trying at all? It's been years now son, and still nothing. Your cousin Jasper was turning things blue and setting things on fire at your age." Uncle Edgar burst with disbelief.

Neville ducked his head and refused to look over to his mentioned cousin. He knew the older boy was staring at him with eyes of pity. As if waiting, Uncle Devon shared his own opinions on why Neville was failing to create magic. He was followed by Aunt Helen and Aunt May offering weak excuses in his name. Neville remained silent while Augusta drank from her goblet after every spoken word.

Soon enough, Augusta ran out of wine and her empty goblet settled on the table with an ominously loud thump.

All noise simultaneously ceased as Augusta levelled her guests with cool eyes and a penetrating glare.

"Neville," she prompted.

"Y-yes Gran?" he croaked, aware of the redness to his cheeks and the tight clench of his fists in his lap.

"Your great-uncle has yet to return from his bathroom break. Go ensure he hasn't lost his way again."

No one dared to speak until the young boy had left the room.

With her grandson no longer present, Augusta Longbottom set out to remind her family members of her own magical greatness.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"Young Master mustn't be so upset. Late bloomer is all he is." Lippy attempted to comfort.

Neville could only manage a weak smile in response as he continued his searching. The house elf meant well, but Neville had long stopped feeling comforted by her repeated words of encouragement. After so many years, he'd lost faith in her hopeful reassurance. Neville searched all the rooms for his great-uncle and was just about to give up.

He was on his way back to the dining room when aged hands grabbed him from behind, covering his mouth and dragging him elsewhere.

Neville fought frantically as his heart raced with terror.

"Come along boy, stop your struggling. This is for your own good."

He recognised the voice, but it brought him even less comfort. Neville was then reminded of a similar memory when he was four at the Blackpool pier. He increased his frantic flailing as his great-uncle dragged him up the stairs towards the roof.

"Those other lot think you a squib, but I know no boy of Frank's would ever be so disappointing. Stop your struggling son and let me help you, goodness."

They'd made it to the attic and his great-uncle struggled to open the window with one hand. It allowed Neville to scream for Lippy with crazed panic. She appeared with a snap and gasped angrily.

"Whatsit think he's doing? Let young Master go!" she cried as she fought to free Neville from his great-uncle's hold.

"Away with you elf, I'm only helping the boy," he snapped.

Lippy disappeared and Neville felt his heart plummet to his stomach as his uncle held him out the window by his ankles.

"HELP! GRAN! SOMEONE! HELP!" Neville cried while desperately trying to reach for the windowpane.

"NEVILLE!" he heard his gran cry from below.

Neville could see the blurry crowd of his relatives watching from below, while his great-uncle waved with a grin.

"Now you lot may think he's a squib, but I'll prove you wrong right now. Off you go lad,"

"No, no, no please! GAAAH!"

Neville had known what it felt like to fall. This wouldn't be the first time he'd been thrown, chucked, or dropped. Despite his familiarity with the feeling, every time always felt like the first. Terrifying. He was certain this would be his last. The scenery around him blurred into colours and gravity pulled him down with vicious force.

'This is it' Neville thought.

'This is how I die, If only I had magic. If only I was more like dad. If only….'

He squeezed his eyes tight and waited for the pain, the splatter, or the thump.

To his surprise all he felt was a jolt on his bottom and then he was going up instead of down. Neville opened his eyes from shock as gravity pulled him down once more only for him to bounce upwards again. The noise around him registered as his heart calmed and his bouncing slowed. All around him was applause from his relatives, none as enthusiastic as his great-uncle Algie by the window.

"Well done, Neville! I knew you weren't no squib."

They were cheering from him, congratulating him for his 'great show of magic'. Neville planted his feet firmly on the ground and hugged his torso tightly. He dug his nails into his skin and anxiously wondered when his stomach would settle. The noise of his relatives stopped when his Gran gave a sharp order for them all to shut up. They obeyed without question.

"Lippy, escort Neville to the gardens and stay with him until I call you."

"Yes Mistress. Come along young Master."

Neville followed without a word, he pretended not to see the thumbs up and bright grin from cousin Jasper.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Gran never hosted another family feast, and she declined all invitations to visit.

Neville never saw his great-uncle Algie again either.

Although he did write him a thank you letter when his Hogwarts acceptance letter arrived.

Gran ordered Lippy to serve her more wine when she heard.

If Neville hadn't of begged to keep him, Gran probably would have sent his gifted toad back too.

Neville named him Trevor.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Platform 9 and ¾ was frantic with families and excited children. Neville felt an odd mix of anxiety and awe towards it all.

"Do stay close Neville. It won't do to have you miss the train or some other," Gran scolded as she led the way.

Neville did his best to balance his trunk and Trevor in his hands and follow her. He rarely ever left the mansion because Gran herself rarely went anywhere. Their trip to Diagon Alley had been incredibly wonderful, even if he didn't get to buy his own wand. After finding himself a compartment and placing his trunk, Neville pulled out his wand.

Or more accurately, his father's wand.

It felt a little strange in his hand, but it worked well enough. It had earned him a proud grin from Gran and a praising tale of how great he'll be, 'just like your father'. Neville gave a short flick and held his breath with anxious hope, only to be disappointed by the lack of sparks. Other than his first attempt, the wand hadn't shown any other reaction to his ownership.

"You'll be alright, Nev," he whispered to himself.

He touched the empty candy wrapper in his chest pocket and patted it for reassurance.

It wasn't until he'd gone to join his Gran that he'd realised Trevor was missing.

"Gran, I've lost my toad again," he sheepishly confessed.

She sighed heavily at him and looked heavenly for a moment.

"Oh Neville," she tutted.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"You'll make plenty of friends at Hogwarts. Though be sure to make the right kind and not the wrong sort. Gryffindor has it's fair share of imbeciles, but your father made great friends there. Your mother too." Gran lectured as she straightened his robes.

"Gran… what if I'm not," he hesitantly whispered.

"Not what? And speak up when you address someone, with a straight back too."

He attempted to straighten but found his head ducking low once again.

"What if I'm not a Gryffindor…"

Gran pursed her lips and sternly glared down at him.

"Don't be a fool Neville. As if the son of Frank and Alice would be anything else. You may be too shy and meek, but you are your father's son. You will not disappoint."

Neville could only nod his agreement, but his eyes never left the ground.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

This was not at all how he imagined the train ride would go. After all of Gran's tales about his dad and mum making friends during the train ride, Neville had wished for the same to happen to him. To his great disappointment, no one bothered him. It didn't matter that he was alone in his compartment with plenty of room for others. They took one peek at him and moved along.

"What am I doing wrong, Trevor?" he whimpered to the toad.

The toad gave a long croak but was ultimately no help.

Suddenly his compartment door slid open with a loud slam. Neville jumped in his seat and consequently let go of Trevor in his hands. Crowding the doorway were three boys who, by the plain black of their ties, must be first years too. Two of them were incredibly large with mean faces set in a grumpy growl. They guarded the boy in the centre who had silver blond hair and steel grey eyes with sharp features. Neville gulped nervously as the blond boy eyed him up and down.

"Ugh, I highly doubt a boy as round as you could be him."

"W-what?" Neville stuttered in response.

The blond scoffed and cleared his throat.

"I'm looking for the boy-who-lived, do you know where he is?"

"No, s-sorry."

"Tch, typical. Father did say someone as famous as Harry Potter would likely have great standards. I doubt you even pass the lowest of the lows."

Neville winced at the sharp laughter the two larger boys gave in response to the comment. The blond smirked with obvious pleasure before looking down at Neville once more.

"So, introduce yourself. Surely a fat boy like you would know how to do something so simple."

Neville's cheeks had turned plum red again and he blustered out his name. The blond arched his brow with interest and stepped closer.

"Longbottom you say. Ah, yes. Father mentioned you once. A shame about your parents. Though Father did say, if not for their blood traitor ways, they would have been worthy of association."

Neville's nails dug into his skin once again as the larger boys laughed. The blond appraised him a second time and let out a scoff.

"He reckons, if not for your barmy grandmother's reputation as a harpy while working with the Ministry of Magic, your family would have lost its standing among purebloods."

Neville loses himself for a short second, his mouth blurts words in a tone he's never used before. It seems to surprise the blond for moment until his lips twist into a sneer and his nose tilts up into the air.

"I'm Draco Malfoy, and if I were you, Longbottom….."

Neville gulps as the blond steps forward with a threatening glare. The two larger boys behind him crack their fists with warning.

"I'd be sure to remember my place."

Neville can feel his heart threatening to beat out of his chest, the tension between them rising until it snaps. The three boys leave laughing as Neville wallows in his shame for flinching at the faked lunge one of the larger boys had made. Alone again in his lonely compartment, he grips at the wand in his hand feeling unworthy.

"Some Gryffindor I'm supposed to be, right Trev?" he whimpers.

But there is no croak in reply.

"Trevor?"

Neville jumps to his feet in horror as he realises his toad had escaped out the door during the confrontation.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

He's lost count of how many compartments he's knocked on. By this point Neville felt rather humiliated by his stuttering attempts to ask after Trevor. One compartment barely even noticed his presence. He felt deep shame towards his useless efforts of making friends and asking after his toad. If only he could go back to his compartment and find Trevor waiting.

But no, Trevor was his responsibility and he promised Gran he'd take care of him.

"One more Neville," he whispered.

He pat the candy wrapper in his chest pocket for luck and knocked.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"Ron, are you sure Scabbers is okay?" Harry dubiously questioned again.

"He's fine! I promise. He's just a fat lazy thing," Ron assured carelessly.

"Why keep him at all then?" Hermione wondered while staring at the rat in his lap with dull eyes.

"He used to be Percy's. Mum and Dad bought Percy a new owl as a reward for being a Prefect. I volunteered to take him on because I knew Percy would have refused the owl otherwise. He didn't want to put the useless thing down and the twins would have experimented on the old pest. Ginny had no interest in having a rat for a pet."

"Rather selfless of you," Hermione idly praised.

Harry nodded while poking at the rat with his wand.

Ron hunched his shoulders while his face turned a modest red.

"Not really, just made sense is all," he countered.

"Dunno, I wouldn't have thought to do it," Harry added.

Then again, Harry doubted Dudley would ever be torn over something like a pet. Chances are he'd just keep both and Harry would be stuck taking care of them. Ron's ears were extremely hot, and he mumbled excuses until Hermione sighed and cheekily repeated his words from earlier.

"Honestly, can't you read the room? We're complimenting you!"

"Whatever, Granger," Ron huffed with a scowl.

Harry and Hermione shared a laugh but they both saw the pleased twitch of Ron's lips. Their pleasant atmosphere was threatened once more as their compartment door slid open after a hesitant knock. Ron levelled his nastiest glare at the door, certain it would be his brothers. Harry and Hermione tensed and readily gripped their wands. They were determined not to be intimidated by the older Weasley's a second time.

"I thought I told you prats to- "Ron started with a growl in his words.

The rest of his sentence was swallowed down when he realised it was not his brothers', but a round faced timid boy. The boy was rather plump with terrible posture. He looked terrified with tears forming in his wide brown eyes.

"S-Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?" he stuttered.

Ron suddenly felt like a bully and he looked to Harry with alarm. Unfortunately for Ron, both Harry and Hermione felt similar.

"Um, No? Sorry." Harry hesitantly answered.

To their great despair the boy suddenly let out a distressed wail and a few of his tears fell down his round cheeks.

"I've lost him! I've lost him already! Gran's gonna be so disappointed in me," he near sobbed.

Harry looked to Hermione urging her to do something, but the girl mirrored his panic. The two had never done well with others, let alone crying children. Thankfully, Ron had lots of practice with overly upset individuals.

"Calm down mate, here have a rest," He roughly guided.

It was through wet sobs and a handful of stuttered sentences that they learned the boy's name. Gradually, with Ron's careful coaching and Harry's awkward back patting, Neville calmed.

"Feeling better now, Neville?" Hermione cautiously broached.

Neville shamefully nodded with his head hung low. He couldn't handle the embarrassment he felt and kept his eyes trained on the ground.

"We're sorry about your toad," Harry offered.

"S'okay. I don't think he likes me much anyway. He keeps getting away from me."

"Well he already sounds loads better than Ron's pet rat," Hermione encouraged.

Harry nodded and added on to her words with a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, at least your toad moves. Scabbers hasn't done anything since Ron took him out of his cage."

But Neville's face scrunched up with misery and mumbled his disagreement.

"Or he likes Ron whereas Trevor probably hates me."

Ron looked at Harry accusingly while Harry shrugged his shoulders defensively. Harry had never tried to cheer someone up before.

"I doubt that's the case. You'll find him I'm sure. In fact, do you want a bit of help?" Ron offered.

Neville shook his head and curled into himself even more.

"No, no. I've already been such a bother to you all. I'll j-just.." Neville looked ready to cry again and the three friends panicked. Thankfully, the boy took a deep breath and regained control over himself.

"I'll just write to Gran tonight and tell her he's gone."

It was extremely hard not to feel sorry for the poor boy.

Ron felt his scar itch and peered over to the awkward duo across from him. With a decisive nod, Ron stood on his feet.

"None of that. Right on, up you get."

"What?" Neville timidly asked as he peered up at Ron.

"You said you've asked everyone, yeah?"

Neville nodded and Ron continued to speak.

"Well if nobody's seen it, we'll just go ask my brother Percy to help you out."

Hermione clapped her thigh with understanding.

"Oh, of course! Good thinking Ron," she praised.

"What do you mean?" Harry questioned looking just as lost as Neville.

"Ron's brother Percy is a prefect. I'm sure a wizard of his level is bound to know the summoning spell. Neville could ask Percy to summon Trevor instead of going door to door."

"You think so?" Neville doubtfully asked, but it was Ron who answered.

"Oh yeah, definitely. Percy's real talented with that stuff. He'll be real helpful. Besides, knowing him, he was planning on finding me anyway. If I go with you, it'll save him the trip."

Harry and Hermione subtly sagged with relief at hearing that. Thanks to the Weasley twins earlier visit, they were rather apprehensive about 'properly' meeting anymore of Ron's siblings. Neville still looked hesitant and unwilling to agree to Ron's offer. He ducked his head low and curled into himself some more.

"I don't want to be a bother," he whispered.

Ron was surprised when Harry quickly reassured Neville before he could even try.

"You're not a bother. Ron's a bit of a grump but he's the best kind of help you'll find around here. He showed Hermione and me to the platform and everything."

"Really," Neville marvelled, feeling drawn in by Harry's bright smile and praising eyes.

He looked over to where the tall red head stood and tried not to giggle at the frown on his lips and redness of his ears.

"Harry's right. You two should hurry to it. Who knows how long it'll take you to find Percy! Harry and I will stay here and mind the compartment for when you come back," Hemione urged.

With a more determined nod, Neville followed behind Ron in search of Percy.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"So, a toad, aye? Why a toad? You didn't want a cat?" Ron absently grumbled as he side stepped out of the way of a few students.

"Um, yeah. He was gift from my great-uncle."

"Oh, that's nice."

When there was no further comment, Ron realised he would have to lead if he wanted more conversation from the round boy. In an effort not to let things grow awkward, Ron rambled. He cared little for the topic. Instead, he focused on minding his step and observing the boy beside him. There was something about Neville Longbottom that made his scar itch and his mood darken with guilt. A weaker version of what he felt when he'd first seen Hermione and Harry.

Neville didn't share much about himself, but it was enough for Ron to figure him out a little better.

Ron's just finishing up a re-telling of one of Charlie's letters when his name is cried from ahead.

"Ronald!"

"Ooph! Get off me Percy!" Ron growls as his older brother scrubs at his cheek.

Neville squeaks and steps to the side as the older red head fusses over Ron.

"Why don't you ever check your appearance? You had chocolate on your face, honestly do you wish to be embarrassed?" Percy scolded.

"So, what if I did!" Ron mulishly growled once released.

Percy clicks his tongue and turns his stare towards a wide-eyed Neville.

"Oh, hello? Are you a new friend of Ronald's?"

Neville would never be able to describe his first meeting with Percival Weasley. There were no words to accurately illustrate how he felt. No comparisons or metaphors. All he would manage is a quiet whispered warning. One should hope never to be held under the stare of Percival Weasley.

Ron shoved at Percy again, rescuing Neville from Percy's sharp glower, and shielding Neville slightly.

"Shove off Perce. Fred and George already had a go at Hermione and Harry. You leave Neville alone," he warned with a glare.

Percy sniffed pompously and adjusted his prefect badge.

"It's tradition Ron, you'll have your turn when it's Ginny's time."

"It's a stupid tradition. How do you expect me to keep any friends I make if you lot keep scaring them off!" Ron snarled.

Neville trembled slightly when the older Weasley's stare found him once more.

"If their so easily swayed then they're hardly worth keeping."

Again, Neville doesn't know what spurs his mouth into blurting what it does. It just happens and before he knows it, it's too late to swallow it down.

"Ron said you could help me find my toad. Can you do it or not?"

Despite Ron somewhat still shielding him, Neville steps forward a little more to face Percy. The older Weasley arches a brow while inwardly scoffing at the blatant cheek in the boy's tone. Ron himself looks to the timid boy with surprise having not expected something so surely spoken.

"Losing your pet so soon reflects rather poorly on the owner you know," Percy hums, not bothering to answer the question.

"Perce, don't be a prat," Ron warns with a glare.

But Percy is not looking at Ron, he's too busy assessing the round boy behind him. Neville can feel his knees threatening to buckle the longer he's held under the older boys stare. It feels too much like his Gran's disappointment and when he fell from the window. He brushes his hand against his wand pocket and curls the other around his chest pocket for comfort. Whatever Percy sees must satisfy him as he pulls out his wand and clears his throat.

"What's the name of your toad?"

After giving the name, Neville watches the older boy wave his wand with ease and utter the spell. He stares down at Neville haughtily and Neville doesn't dare blink. Ron gives an excited laugh as a croaking toad comes flying towards Percy's outstretched hand.

"Is that him Nev?" Ron prompts while poking at the trembling toad in Percy's grip.

Neville darts a quick gaze over the toad and nods.

"In the future, Mr Longbottom, I suggest you keep better watch over your pet. Hogwarts is by no means small and tiny animals such as Trevor are bound to get lost often."

While Percy is speaking with a smile, Neville shivers at the cold warning in the older boys eyes. It's a look he's witnessed his Gran give to her guests on occasion. It was by no means a threat, only a warning, and it was always delivered with a silent promise.

"T-Thank you," Neville mumbles as he grabs Trevor.

Percy Weasley smiles at him and Neville feels as if he's passed some sort of test.

"Of course, as a Prefect it is my duty to help all students to the best of my capabilities."

Ron gives a loud grunt and rolls his eyes and ushers Neville ahead.

"Yeah, Yeah. Thanks for the help, Perce. Nev and I are gonna head back, somewhere you bloody gits won't be pestering us."

Percy frowns and looks over Ron, fussing over him once more.

"You both should change into your uniforms. We're soon to be at the station and Professor McGonagall will expect you all too look presentable."

Ron swats at his brothers hands with a scowl and stomps Neville forward.

"Goodbye Perce," he groans.

Percy watches them leave and Neville feels his stare the entire time.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"Look, Nev, I'm sorry about Percy. He gets to be a bit much for some. It's only gotten worse since he made prefect," Ron apologised as he walked Neville back to his compartment.

Neville gave a soft smile as he cradled Trevor.

"It's fine Ron. Honestly, I think it's rather nice. It's always been just me and Gran. I wouldn't know nothing about having brothers."

Ron frowned and idly scratched at his chest where his scar would be. Honestly, between Harry, Hermione and Neville, Ron's starting to wonder if he's got a type when it comes to making friends. He nudges Neville lightly and tries to lighten the mood between them.

"It's got it's not nice moments too. Once Bill and Charlie ate all of Percy's cake and lied to Mum about it. Fred, George, Ginny and I got the worst scolding of our lives."

Ron manages to weasel a few laughs and giggles out of Nev by the time they reach his compartment. The timid boy turns to Ron with a grateful grin and thanks him, but Ron's stuck his head in the compartment with a frown.

"Who're you sitting with, Nev?" he asks with a furrowed brow.

Neville turns red with embarrassment.

"Erm, no one. It's just me and Trevor in this one."

Ron scowls unhappily and gives a decisive nod.

"Right then. I'll hold Trevor and you change into your school robes. Then I'll help move your trunk over to our compartment."

"Oh no, really I'm fine. We're almost to Hogwarts anyway!" Neville blustered but Ron glowers at him sternly.

"Come on mate. No one wants to ride alone, and besides, we're friends now. You met Percy and everything. You're definitely coming back with me."

Neville bashfully shifts on his feet but eventually gives his agreement.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Ron is midway through another ramble about his brothers, when Neville encounters Draco Malfoy and his lackeys a second time. The blond has a furious frown on his lips with pink cheeks while his guard dogs look rather confused. Ron straightens to his full height, but his expression is far from pleasant. It was obvious the three had just come out of the compartment Harry and Hermione were minding.

"Oi, there a problem here?" Ron growls.

Neville brushes his hand over his wand a little nervously as Malfoy darts a quick glare his way before focusing on Ron.

"Tch, I see you've found others of your filth Longbottom. Red hair, and hand me down robes. No need to ask for your name," Malfoy sneered.

Neville steps closer to Ron and grips his wand readily but doesn't dare look away from the two larger boys behind Malfoy. He's not sure what expression Ron wears but it must have been quite the sight as Malfoy's cheeks darken with fury. Ron scoffs and hefts Neville's trunk up again with a better grip.

"Pfft, like I care who _you_ are. Come on, Nev."

Neville follows behind the red-haired boy, who's dark glare is fierce enough to cause the two larger boys to step aside. Its obvious which compartment their about to enter and Malfoy can't resist having the last word.

"If Potter's chosen to surround himself with riff-raff like you, he's bound to see the right side of things soon enough."

Neville waits for Ron to give a comeback, but the red-haired boy doesn't bother. He carries on and pays Malfoy no mind. It serves to infuriate the blond further and he stomps off with a high-pitched cry of his minions names. It's only when their gone that Ron lets out a loud and heavy breath. The grip he has on Neville's trunk slackens.

"That was amazing!" Neville blurts unable to stop himself from marvelling at Ron's control.

But Ron doesn't share his enthusiasm, just shakes his head and presses at his chest. He looks almost as if he's in pain.

"Ron? Are you alright?" Neville worriedly asks.

Ron takes several breaths before he gives a nod and slides the compartment door open.

Harry and Hermione visibly perk up at seeing them, and Neville gives a nervous smile in return.

"Oh good, you're back. You won't believe the audacity of some snot faced prat who'd come in just before you," Hermione started with a haughty sneer on her lips.

Neville winced as Ron roughly shoved his trunk into place and grunted his response.

"Tch, if it was the blond-haired prick we just met, I already know."

Harry remained unnervingly quiet by the window as Hermione and Ron started sharing their impression of Draco Malfoy. Neville hesitantly settled beside the green-eyed boy.

"Are you alright?" he quietly asked.

Harry looked to him with a tight smile that did nothing to lighten the dark gleam in his eyes.

"Is being the boy-who-lived really such a big deal?"

Oh, Neville had forgotten Harry was **THE** Harry Potter. It didn't feel as important when he was stressed over Trevor. He wasn't sure what to say and from the intense exchange between Hermione and Ron, they would likely be awhile. Neville reached for Trevor and presented him before Harry with a small grin.

"Dunno but look! I got Trevor back!"

Harry blinked at the toad shoved before his face. As if comically timed, Trevor gave a loud and long croak. The giggle blubbered out of Harry unexpectedly and soon enough he was laughing. Neville's face grew hot with embarrassment while Hermione and Ron watched on with amusement.

As they settled down for the last leg of the train ride, dressed in their school robes. Ron grabbed Scabbers out from his cage and turned a serious frown towards Harry.

"Alright, now Harry, serious question. Between a rat and a toad, which makes the better pet?"

Hermione groaned and scowled at the red head.

"Oh, for goodness sake, Ronald."

"What? It's a serious question."

"I think a toad."

"Yes, but our answers don't count Nev."

"Hang on, I thought we already decided on a cat?"

"Ugh, come on Harry."

By the time their train pulled into the station, Neville was feeling rather optimistic towards Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter 20% finished.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter: The Sorting.**

"First years! First years over here!"

"Blimey!" Ron breathed, while Harry could only gape at his side.

"Giants are real?" Harry quietly asked timid Neville on his left.

"Well, yes but they're actually much larger than that," Neville answered with a shaky whisper.

The large man must have heard them or something as his beady eyes widen at spying their little group. Hermione makes a noise of interest and pulls out a pencil and small notebook. Ron frowns with curious interest at her scribbling and tries to sneak a peek at her notebook.

"What are you doing?" he asks, but Hermione narrows her eyes at him irately and leans away.

"I'm documenting my experience, obviously," she huffed.

Ron gave a snort and smirked at her teasingly but didn't bother trying to read her scribbles again.

"Why'd you wanna do something like that?"

Hermione grit her teeth and narrowed her dull staring eyes at him. The way she stood in her carefully arranged robes made her look quite stern for an eleven-year-old. The two were slowly building to another round of bickering while Harry and Neville tugged at their robes with alarm. The giant was stomping towards them with a terrifying wide smile. Hermione, in her bristling ire, shrugged away from Neville's tug and scowled at the smirking Ron.

"Unlike you, magic is quite new in my life. Why wouldn't I?" she countered.

Ron opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by Harry's sharp elbow to his side.

"Ouch, Harry what?"

"Merlin it really is you! Look at you, grown up and everything. Professor McGonagall said you'd be coming, but I just can't believe its been so long already," the giant man blustered with shiny eyes.

Neville had ducked behind Ron and had a grip on Hermione's robes. Ron glowered up at the towering giant, while Hermione's grip on her pencil appeared rather threatening. But it was obvious to anyone watching that the giant's interest was for the glasses wearing boy in the middle of the two. Harry was tense and didn't dare move an inch.

"Sorry?" Harry warily apologized.

The giant let out a booming laugh that drew everyone's attention. Harry winced and stepped back, comforted at feeling Ron and Hermione's supportive presence on either side of him with Neville guarding their backs.

"Sorry, he says. As if _the_ Harry Potter would ever need to apologize to the likes of me," the giant chuckled.

Harry cringed while his stomach sunk with dread. The whispers around him increased and he could hear his name echo among the crowd. Ron gave a low growl as his expression darkened and his ears grew hot with anger. Neville trembled at all the attention, but Hermione tilted her head back and piercingly stared up at the Giant.

"Pardon me, but who exactly are you?" she primly inquired, her tone expectant.

The Giant's laughter tapered off at the rather sharp address. He looked down at the little girl and was surprised by the mildly hostile glint in her eyes. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable and awkward with his approach, he scrambled to explain himself.

"Of course, you wouldn't remember. Ahem, Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."

Harry looked up at Hagrid with wide eyes of disbelief. He felt Ron nudge him inquiringly but could only shake his head in response. Harry had never met a giant named Rubeus Hagrid in his life. It's not exactly something one could easily forget.

"And you know Harry?" Ron grunted dubiously with his eyebrows deeply furrowed.

"Certainly! Though he was only a wee baby when I last saw him," Hagrid elaborated before looking Harry over again.

Harry did his best to hide how uncomfortable he felt as Hagrid's eyes grew shiny.

"You look a lot like your dad, but you got your mum's eyes."

A different feeling suddenly overwhelmed Harry. He stepped forward, ignoring Ron and Hermione's reach to pull him back, and levelled a desperate stare up at Hagrid.

"You knew my parents?"

Perhaps it was the way Harry's voice shook, or the increasing hostility from Hermione and Ron. Whatever the case, Hagrid was alarmed by the children's attention. He fumbled for his pocket-watch and exclaimed at the time.

"Blimey, we're running behind. Professor McGonagall will have my head if I'm late. Come on now, lets get a moving. Don't want to keep the rest of the school waiting for too long," Hagrid blathered while ushering them along.

"Wait!" Harry tried, feeling slighted at having his question ignored.

But Hagrid was already calling for the rest of the first years to follow him. Harry clenched his fists tightly with frustration at being so close to learning more about his parents and being denied once again. He didn't have long to wallow in the feeling as Hermione urged him forward while pulling a trembling Neville to follow.

"Come on, let's get a move on. You can ask him again another time," she lowly whispered.

Harry scowled and opened his mouth to argue but Ron's hand on his shoulder distracted him. Ron was glaring rather darkly at a group of students a few ways to the side. It was remarkably intimidating for an eleven-year-old.

"What are you lot staring at? Mind your own business," he snarled.

Harry was suddenly aware of the whispering about the boy-who-lived. He hunched his shoulders and self-consciously shifted his hair around his scar to hide it better.

"Come on, Harry…" Neville quietly encouraged.

The four of them trooped after Hagrid. Hermione and Ron kept a tight guard over the two in the centre. Neville was quietly babbling in Harry's ear about Trevor, but Harry was listening with a sullen frown on his lips. The mood around the children, once again, had grown tense and gloomy.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

The bustling chatter and greetings of returning students filled Hogwarts with a cheery ambience. Students in their respective house colours, crowded with their friends, laughing as they familiarised themselves with their home away from home.

"...and again, you're not even listening to a word I'm saying," one boy whined.

"I'm sure it's nothing new," Percy absently placated as his eyes continued to roam the crowds in search of someone.

Oliver Wood grunted with doubt and folded his arms challengingly. He eyed the pretentious looking red head with a considering expression. While he rarely ever voiced it, Percy Weasley was undoubtedly his best friend. It's an unavoidable fate for a lone duo who'd shared a dorm for four, now to be five, years. Not that Oliver is complaining as being best friends with Percy Weasley was his easiest achievement in life. It only took voluntarily getting lost in the forbidden forest, for a few hours as a first year, to earn the approval of Charlie Weasley and gain the title. Percy could be rather stuffy and an unbearable nag; but Oliver was equally overwhelmingly competitive and obsessive.

Their friendship oddly balanced itself out, which suited them both fine.

"You're fretting like a mother hen. I hope you know," Oliver dryly remarked, earning a harried glare from the red head.

"Oh, shut up. We both know you'll be repeating yourself for the first week at the minimum."

Oliver snorted and jutted his lip out in a pout.

"Wow, rude. Maybe the twins were on to something about this whole prefect nonsense going to your head."

Percy's glare intensified and he scowled at Oliver fiercely while pointing at the shiny badge pinned to Oliver's robes.

"My badge is plenty more certifiable than your silly captain badge. Why are you even wearing that now? It's the first day back and Quidditch is hardly the most demanding priority."

Oliver gasped and covered his captain badge protectively.

"Percy! The audacity! You didn't hear me insulting your pointless trinket. Everybody at Hogwarts already knows you're a stiff upper lip and a quivering bottom."

Percy flushed a furious shade of red while Oliver wore a devilish smirk whilst snickering. Percy floundered to respond for a few seconds before clearing his throat and glaring threateningly at his friend.

"Stop trying to distract me and help me find Flint. We don't have long till the first years are to be sorted."

All amusement fled Oliver's expression at the name mentioned and his eyes darkened indignantly.

"Flint! You're looking for Flint? Percival, you traitorous scum, of all my adversaries to fraternise with you settle for Flint."

Percy shoved Oliver with a scowl having spotted the boy mentioned with his usual band of companions. Oliver blocked Percy's way and refused to move an inch until the other boy explained his reasons. Percy huffed at his friend's dramatics but knew Oliver wouldn't hesitate to throw a huge fit if he didn't explain. The last thing Percy wanted was unwanted stares and the wrong kind of attention.

"My brother starts this year, you know this."

Oliver's glare lightened slightly but he still didn't move.

"Yes, I've heard. Another Weasley to grace the halls of Hogwarts. I still don't know how Flint fits into all this, you've already checked in on him like the frenzied mother you secretly are."

"Will you stop with the teasing! Ronald is different to the twins," Percy exclaimed.

Oliver's brows rose upwards at the name and he leaned forward with intrigue.

"Ronald? Hang on, the twins 'Little Ronnie', that Ronald?"

Percy subversively scowled and grumbled under his breath how 'Ron was his brother too', but Oliver ignored him. Holy shit how could Oliver forget Little Ronnie was supposed to start this year. It was all the twins and Percy could argue about last year. In Oliver's defense he'd been busy mourning their loss of the quidditch cup around the time, but he got the cliff notes from Lee.

Fred & George wanted to be the leading tour guides for little Ronnie's first year, but Percy wouldn't give them the pleasure. Percy had argued the two would only confuse their youngest brother and lead him down the path of mischief and trouble. Thankfully, they managed to compromise on the matter. The drama of it all was ranked the second most memorable Weasley argument in the Gryffindor dorms. It lost first place to the epic showdown between Charlie and Percy regarding the older boy's internship in Romania.

"Oh, Lee's going to have so much to share at our next meeting," Oliver gleefully chirped as he finally moved out the way.

Percy sniffed haughtily and scoffed in response.

"I still don't understand the need for you and Lee's childish play dates."

Oliver easily ignored Percy's tone and flagged down Flint with a steady nod. The green robed boy sneered but his expression turned begrudgingly polite at spotting Percy by Oliver's side.

"It's not a playdate, it's an exclusive club."

"Not if it's only got two members," Percy quipped but Oliver elbowed him lightly.

"Shush, we'll definitely be recruiting this year. Now, I'm only letting this slide because you said it's for little Ronnie. I'll be damned if Lee gets to be the only one with juicy news."

Marcus Flint approached them with Higgs and Pucey flanking him on either sides. He greeted Oliver with a taunting snarl but afforded Percy a polite dip of his head.

"Wood, itching for a beating already?"

"Sod off, Flint," Oliver countered with a scornful scoff.

Percy stepped forward before either boy could continue their tense exchange. Drawing himself to his full height, Percy levelled a compelling stare towards Marcus. Oliver shifted his stance slightly, keeping his wand hand loosely by his pocket. Higgs and Pucey mirrored him by Marcus's side.

"Marcus, hope the holidays treated you well," Percy started.

"I'd say it went fine. Yours?" Marcus shrugged.

Oliver inwardly groaned at the small talk, hating the rather formal necessities and manners Percy adopted whenever he wanted something from others. If Percy Weasley didn't one day make Minister of Magic, Oliver would eat his broom and swallow his quaffle. When the two finally finished their niceties, Percy finally raised the real reason for his approach.

"I've a younger brother to be sorted today."

Marcus, Higgs and Pucey shared looks of astonishment. Oliver couldn't even fault them as his own face must look the same.

"You can't be serious?" Higgs blurted.

It was telling how shocking this was when Flint didn't hush him immediately after. Percy's stare intensified with a threatening gleam and the shiny badge on his chest glinted ominously.

"Slytherin's never housed a Weasley!" Pucey argued.

But Marcus squinted at Percy, looking deep in thought. Oliver was trying to blink away his shock and focus on the reality before him. Eventually, Marcus found his words and slowly began to nod.

"Alright then Weasley, I'll bite. What do you need?"

"No promises as of yet, just reassurance."

Marcus snorted and shook his head.

"You're expecting too much from a snake," he refuted.

Percy arched a single brow imperiously.

"I don't think I am."

Oliver rapidly blinked some more and wondered if he imagined the slight flush to Flint's cheeks.

"Tch, alright then, you'll get your reassurance. So long as you offer some of your own."

Percy hummed but didn't prompt the other boy for a reply.

"This new Weasley, he like you or the other two pests?"

To the wonderment of the snakes and the groaning agony of Oliver's, Percy briefly lost his stiff persona and mellowed like a gooey pudding's centre. It was too late for Oliver to cast some sort of blinding hex to shield the snakes from witnessing Percy so weak. All he could do was step closer to his friend and stand threateningly on guard.

Curse the Weasley's and their ridiculous weakness towards their infamous 'little Ronnie' and curse his own heart for finding it sickeningly adorable.

"Believe me when I say, Ronald will prove to be more than anyone expects," Percy softly _boasts._

Oliver inwardly groaned and cursed his past self for letting this come to be. Higgs let out a quiet snort, but Percy heard and the switch back into his usual stiff persona was unnervingly quick. Percy adjusts his robes, consequently allowing the glint of his badge to be more obvious. The action coming across rather threateningly towards the snake.

"You know my policies, Flint. We can discuss matters such as possible promises after the sorting."

Marcus disrupted Percy's threatening stare towards Higgs by stepping forward with a glare.

"You've made your point, Weasley."

Percy hummed before giving polite nods and turning his back. Oliver slipped his wand out for additional emphasis causing Flint to snort out a laugh.

"Save it for the pitch, Wood. Always leaves an extra zing of victory sweetness to witness your misery when you lose."

Oliver glares but allows the snake to have the last word.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"So, what the bloody fuck Perce?" Oliver hissed as they made their way to the Gryffindor table to sit.

"Later, Oliver," Percy shushed.

But Oliver was well into his rant to even hear.

"I know I said I'll stop asking, but seriously! You can't go making deals with the fucking devil and expect me not to wonder. What the hell do you have on Flint that makes him less of a troll and willing to share 'promises' with a lion?"

"Oliver, I said not now," Percy repeated with a strained whisper.

Oliver frowned with an indignant pout but couldn't resist pushing a little more.

"Fine. At least tell me why you went to Flint rather than Farley when she's the one with the badge and certainly the better sort."

Percy released a heavy sigh through his nose but patiently explained his actions to his friend.

Oliver digested it all with unabashed marvel. He knew Percy was a stiff with a control streak that sometimes got a little concerning, but this? This was adult level politics that had no business being used in a school by children. Sure, Oliver constantly joked about Percy possibly getting poached by some ministry officials like Charlie did with the dragon training scouts. Yet, he found himself uncomfortably paranoid that it just might come true.

"Penelope already promised to keep an eye out, she's incredibly helpful you know," Percy continued, and Oliver nodded distractedly.

"Mmh, which has nothing to do with her massive crush on you but do go on."

Percy's selective hearing must have been in play again as he completely glossed over Oliver's words.

"The twins volunteered to check in with Diggory and since they've not bothered me, I'll assume it went over well."

"Merlin, Diggory too? I was joking about my enemies! Any other rival of mine you've been looking to get cosy with?"

Percy rolled his eyes, looking unimpressed with Oliver's jokes. If only he knew that Oliver was not at all faking his incensed outbursts.

"Look, Gemma might wear the badge but it's no secret it was Marcus who endorsed her. Also, if Marcus had cared for it, he would have been made the male prefect instead of Griffins. Turns out the only badge he cared for was quidditch captain."

"Right, I think you're giving Flint a little too much credit there," Oliver wryly scoffed.

"I'm not. Flint's got more influence than anyone knows. He's simply better at hiding it compared to most."

Oliver leaned forward with an accusing murmur.

"Because he's a cheating snake!"

Before they could argue further, they were joined at the table by the twins and Lee. The twins were looking mighty smug while Lee looked like he needed a calming draught. Oliver sympathised with the younger boy, feeling a migraine building at his temples.

"Diggory's set," George filled in only to have Fred add on his own comment from over his shoulder.

"Wouldn't stop staring at us like we were mental for even suggesting Ron would go elsewhere, but we set him straight."

"He knows the drill," they deviously purred like cats who got the cream.

Percy nodded approvingly and gave his own assurance. Oliver sagged in his seat and just shook his head, he looked over to where Lee sat and shared an exasperated sigh with the boy.

"Think we should meet tonight instead of tomorrow?" Lee offered but Oliver groaned and shook his head.

"Merlin no! Let's try for one good sleep before we deal with this shit."

Fred snorted with a mischievous grin stretched across his lips.

"This about your support group?"

"I think you mean play date," Percy corrected.

"Hang on, I thought it was a club?" George added with mocking wide eyes.

Oliver cleared his throat while Lee just cradled his head in his arms.

"It's all of that, minus the play date."

"It's ridiculous, is what it is" Percy countered.

Oliver smirked at his friend tauntingly.

"Only because you're jealous you can't join."

"A Weasley support group without any Weasley's," George mused

"Horrible, utterly insulting" Fred tacked on.

"Yes, well it wasn't made for you. If you Weasley's weren't so insane it wouldn't even be needed." Lee retorted.

Percy noticed Professor McGonagall head for the door and hushed them all with a sharp hiss. To the rest of Hogwarts, it was just another first year sorting. The only anticipation being the bets on which house would get the boy-who-lived. For three Weasley's it was an entirely different sort of sorting. One that felt monumental, and only their closest most trusted friends understood why.

When the hall doors opened and McGonagall led the crowd of first years to the front, all eyes were on the boy-who-lived.

While three pairs of anxious blue eyes never left the grumpy red head trudging along beside a bespectacled boy with green eyes.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Hermione, as her outlaw Aunt Leah would say, was mighty close to cutting a bitch if they didn't stop their staring. Amid the marvelling gasps at Hogwarts beauty as they crossed the lake, many eyes repeatedly darted over to their boat. While she was no stranger to gawking, her discomfort and dwindling patience was mostly in Harry's name. After getting to know the boy better on the train, Hermione realized the truth about the boy-who-lived.

Harry Potter was simply that, a boy.

A clueless, well-meaning boy who could switch moods like her dad liked to switch channels.

"Over there, look do you see him? The boy beside the fat one. Can you believe it's really him?" a girl with a pug like nose whispered.

Hermione grit her teeth and tapped her pencil against her notebook to a fast-paced tempo.

"Draco talked to him on the train you know. He said that the killing curse must have killed a hefty amount of braincells instead so he could live. It's the only explanation for why the boy made Crabbe and Goyle seem intelligent."

Hermione stopped her tapping while her grip on her pencil tightened.

She kept her eyes trained on the Hall door, willing Professor McGonagall to return quickly so they may move on. She could hear Ron and Neville doing their best to distract Harry from the blatant staring and hushed whispers of his name. She doubted the boys had senses as sharp as her own, a gift from birth. It's why she valued mind exercises. She had to train and exercise her brain to combat the sense overload. Most days she enjoyed the advantages it gave her.

Today it made Hermione want to claw at her neck and dig at her scar hidden beneath her wild mane.

"But that's not even the worst of it…" the pug faced girl continued.

Hermione's face must have twisted into something concerning as Neville looked at her worriedly. He then nudged Harry and Ron bringing it to attention. Which, while a caring gesture, only made matters worse. Ron was looking at her warily, as if she were a wild animal. Harry had narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to where she stood.

"Hermione?" Harry prompted reaching out with his hand.

"… he's a mudblood sympathiser" the girl finished with a disgusted sneer.

Hermione's patience snapped and the scar on her neck **burned** _._

"Excuse you," she sneered with a dark glower.

There was no mistaking who she was addressing, not when her whole body twisted in the girls direction. The 'subtle' staring and whispering stopped immediately in favour of blatant gawking. The pug girl looked surprised, likely thinking she was too far away to be heard. She wasn't wrong. It was just her unfortunate luck that Hermione had such strong senses. Hermione knew the two who stepped up to flank her sides were Ron and Harry. She could sense them without having to look.

To the girl's credit, she didn't shy away or look embarrassed. Instead she stuck her pug nose in the air and matched Hermione's stance. The tension between the two girls incredibly thick and growing hostile by the ticking seconds.

"Excuse _me?_ That was a private conversation," the girl sneered.

Hermione scoffed and tucked her notebook into her pocket for safe keeping. She kept hold of her pencil. Aunt Leah always warned that if your going to fight it's best to have options on hand. The pen is always mightier than the sword, though she didn't have a sword or a pen, she figured a pencil would have to do.

"You're excused," Hermione sharply dismissed.

The girl let out an offended gasp but had no time to respond as Hermione was already speaking.

"As an individual who values truth and fact, I couldn't possibly allow you to continue your inconsiderate blabber and misconstrued slander."

She heard Ron snort loudly on her left while Harry's eyes stared at her in shock on her right. Neville had briefly tightened his grip on her robes from behind with anxious fret. She heard several gasps and muttering from the watching crowd. One loud voice even asked after the meaning of 'misconstrued', which at any other time, she would have found amusing.

Right now, Hermione's attention was focused on the girl across from her. She stepped forward and pointed her pencil at the girl and sharply hissed her warning.

"Believing in hearsay's while ignorant often leads to unpleasant _misunderstandings_. If I were you, I'd be mindful of who I talk about and what I say."

Hermione was close enough to see the tiny quiver of the girls lip. She was satisfied with the rising flush of pink to her cheeks and slight dilation of her pupils from panic. Aunt Leah always said she had a deadly stare, one that could turn grown men into quivering sheep if she wanted.

"Back off, _freak_ " a thick shouldered girl grunted as she stepped between the two.

Hermione was ready to shift targets but was jolted to the side by Harry's sudden interference. He was glaring darkly at the thicker girl looking rather furious, leaving Hermione momentarily stunned.

"She's not a freak," he snapped.

The two girls visibly shrank back at having _the_ Harry Potter confront them.

"Harry…" Ron tempered with one hand on Harry's shoulder and his other on Hermione's.

"Harry, Hermione, please! Professor McGonagall could come back at any second," Neville anxiously whispered.

"Defending your attack dog, Potter?" Draco Malfoy taunted as he stepped in front of the two girls.

Hermione absently took note of how the girls seemed to hide behind the blond. She realized they were standing across from each other like opposing gangs in an alley way. She knew Harry was glaring at Malfoy, probably caught in another stare off like on the train, but Hermione didn't dare shift her eyes from the pug faced girl.

"Father was right then. Filth do like to wallow among their own," Malfoy sneered.

Harry scoffed while his glaring green eyes intensified.

"If that's the case, then Hermione was right about you too back on the train. You can't reason with a child chasing after Daddy's approval."

Someone in the crowd started to 'ooh' while the blond in front of them reached for his wand.

"What is going on here?" a stern voice loudly bellowed.

The children quickly cowered and scrambled to get into order. Draco and his lot quickly looked to the source, but Harry and Hermione were too riled to stop glaring. It was only Ron's quick shove that got them to drop their staring. When they turned forward, they found Professor McGonagall staring down at them with sharp scrutiny.

"Mr Potter, Ms Granger, is there a problem?" she prompted.

Hermione pursed her lips and Harry mutinously kept silent.

"No professor, just trying to make friends you see," Ron quickly answered with an unassuming smile.

The red-haired boy didn't falter under the stern Professor's piercing stare. It was clear none of the children would be admitting to anything.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Minerva McGonagall could easily recognise a Weasley child when she saw one. Though this Weasley already had her rather on edge. Molly Weasley's boys, so far at least, have proven to be the most troublesome kind of students. Nothing she couldn't handle, especially after all she suffered through with the Marauders, but troublesome none the less.

She shifted her stare to the glasses wearing boy who was proving to be his mother's child with his stubborn green glare. Of course, it would be her luck to teach the legacy of James Potter and Lily Evans. She could only hope his mother's temper was all he inherited and not his father's love for mischief.

"May I remind you, children, that Hogwarts is a school of unanimity and modesty. We do not condone fighting among the students and if ever one should occur, I assure you, the consequences will be fierce. Am I understood?"

"Yes Professor," the children echoed with appropriately cowed heads.

She looked them over one by one, mildly satisfied with their presented selves and motioned for them to follow.

"Form a line and follow after me."

The children scrambled to obey, but McGonagall kept a careful watch over a certain few.

For a moment, her worn heart quivered and ached as a cluster of four children whispered among themselves. In her mind's eye, she thought of another cluster of four. Four reckless foolhardy lion cubs who had clawed a space in her heart only to break it years later.

Minerva cleared her throat and turned to lead the children inside.

There was a sorting to be done and this was no time to dwell in old heartbreak.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"What the bloody hell was that? What were you thinking?" Ron harshly whispered in Hermione's ear as they followed behind Neville and Harry.

"I wasn't going to just stand there and let her get away with talking nonsense," she defended.

Ron looked unimpressed by her answer, but Hermione jutted her chin out stubbornly.

"Course not, and any other time I'd call you brilliant. But you can't go picking fights, getting people angry and have Harry jumping in for you."

Hermione felt her jaw drop with disbelief and hissed back at him, careful not to be heard by the boy in question.

"For your information, Ronald, Harry jumped in on his own. I had it handled. It wasn't any fault of mine _he_ interfered. "

Ron scowled and pulled her back a bit so he could harshly emphasise his words.

"That's exactly my point. Malfoy's a git and deserves a smack down any time he opens his bloody gob, but you can't go goading him into it. You should have ignored the girl too; it was just words. Look, surely you've spent enough time with Harry to know what I know?"

Hermione quietly stared at the taller red head inquiringly while he frowned. They were nearing the front of the hall where a stool sat on it's lonesome with a ratty looking hat. Ron stepped closer and quietly whispered his words, careful not to be heard.

"We're going to be sorted and none of us know how. You're a smart witch, Hermione, and Harry's shown quite a lot about himself since we've met him. You tell me, who's gonna be there to back him up if we get separated?"

Hermione tenses her jaw, but Ron knows by the way her eyes shiftily eye the rest of their peers, that she gets it. Neither Ron nor Hermione understand the fierce protective need they have towards Harry Potter. A train ride shouldn't really inspire a feeling so fanatic and intense. Regardless, it exists in both children and as they listen to the sorting hat's song, they frantically think of a way to stay close to the boy.

"Now, when I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor McGonagall informed.

The crowd of first years shared anxious looks among themselves, huddling close. Ron plastered on a reassuring grin when Neville and Harry glance back to where he stood with Hermione. Hermione swallowed as her own nerves briefly overwhelmed her.

"Hannah Abott…" Professor McGonagall listed.

As the girl in question stepped forward, Ron muttered under his breath.

"No pressure, but Granger is before Longbottom, Potter _and_ Weasley."

"Shut up, I'm thinking!" she hissed, and Ron eased off but his impatient shifting increased.

It's just after the thick girl who called Hermione a freak, her name apparently being Millicent Bulstrode, is sorted into Slytherin that Hermione's epiphany hits.

"Gryffindor!" she whispers to Ron.

"What?"

"Harry, he'll go to Gryffindor," she repeats.

Ron stares at her doubtfully which causes her to scowl.

"The sorting hats song! Didn't you listen?"

"So, a single song and suddenly you're the sorting hat itself? Mind you, we don't _really_ know Harry, just a little better than the rest of this lot!"

Hermione looks ready to argue with him some more but is interrupted by the next name listed.

"Hermione Granger."

Harry and Neville give her encouraging nods and she responds in turn, but for Ron her eyes implore him to believe her. The last thing she sees is Neville's anxious worrying, Harry's intense stare and Ron's resigned nod.

Then the hat begins to speak.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

_'Hm… interesting…. What a mind, what a mind! Oh? I see…. Figured it out have you? Quite the talent you have, Rowena would love to- Oh? Not interested you say. Why not? In Ravenclaw all the knowledge you seek will be ready at hand. You'll have the tools to pursue even more knowledge and peers who would understand. But no…. your mind is set on something else. Something greater…. A boy?'_

_'Oh…. dear oh dear…. Not just any boy to you.'_

Hermione fidgeted as the Hat grew unnervingly silent and felt heavier on her head than before.

"Child…" the hat spoke sounding overwhelmed with emotion.

It was loud enough to alert Professor McGonagall and earn an inquiring gaze. Hermione felt her scar itch like crazy and desperately tried to ignore her need to claw at it.

"Dear child… how could I dare place you anywhere else when you have proven yourself beyond worthy of the core in your heart."

Hermione's hands are tightly clenched in effort to ignore the burning itch of her scar and almost misses when the hat cries out it's decision.

Unlike the other students, the hat sounds mournful, more resigned than anything else, as it sends her on her way.

But Hermione pays it no attention, too relieved to have gotten her way.

She settles at her new House table, unaware of the intrigued stares that follow her.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Harry claps wildly for Hermione, happy for her sorting result and hopeful he'll join her. He knows its Ron who steps closer to his side and absently addresses him.

"What were the two of you whispering about before her turn?"

Harry doesn't mean for his tone to sound accusing, yet it does. He turns to apologize but stops at spying Ron's expression. The thing is Harry likes Ron & Hermione. He really does. They're the first set of friends he's ever made, and he doesn't want to lose them. He's worried about his sorting and it terrifies the selfish part of him that wants to keep his new friends all to himself.

"Don't worry about it mate, just a bit of nerves," Ron assures.

Harry wants to believe him, but the glint in the taller boy's eyes makes him doubtful. Somehow, Harry can't help but feel Hermione and Ron had been discussing him and he's unsure how to feel about it.

"Gran is going to be so disappointed when I go to Hufflepuff," Neville fretted.

The poor boy looked to be on the verge of a panic attack. Ron was staring over to the Gryffindor table where Hermione seemed caged in by his brothers. The red-haired boy looked rather annoyed at his brothers who seemed to be pestering the girl… again.

"Of course not, you'll definitely be a Gryffindor," Ron absently stated, as if it were fact.

"Wha- But I'm not brave!" Neville whimpered.

Harry eyed Ron, waiting for him to say something more, but Ron was distracted by his brothers who were waving over at him embarrassingly. Harry took a deep breath and clapped Neville on the back like Ron had to him on the train. He looked Neville dead in the eyes and quietly whispered his words.

"Neville, if you want to go to Gryffindor you'll go to Gryffindor."

Neville blinked back at him but didn't get the chance to respond as Professor McGonagall called his name.

Maybe it was the utter trust and certainty the two boys had spoken to Neville with?

Perhaps, it was Neville himself discovering a resolve within himself that hadn't ever existed before?

Regardless, when Neville stepped towards the hat, his face was set with desperate determination. The hat had probably sat on his head for five seconds at most before it opened its seam and cried out its decision.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The house of lions applauded loudly for the round boy, but he beamed towards the two first years who'd given him the courage to step forward. McGonagall couldn't help the soft smile that flitted briefly across her lips as she ushered her newest cub to his house table.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"Draco Malfoy"

Draco had never thought he'd feel so conflicted when it would come to his sorting. He'd always been so sure his house would be Slytherin. Yet as he walks towards the stool, he's unsettled and more than a little confused. It infuriates him and he curses the blasted mud blood and the stupid boy-who-lived.

It's all their fault.

The hat sits on his head and instantly starts to hum with interest.

_'Interesting… confused…. Hm…'_

He's not!

The hat laughs and Draco scowls and clenches his fists.

_'It has been a long time since I've a sorted a Malfoy facing an important crossroad'_

Draco frowned and wondered what the hat was talking about.

_'Your grandfather held the same uncertainty the day of his sorting. But in the end, he found his resolve and started his family down a new path.'_

Draco stiffened and grew pale under the hat feeling more than a little terrified at what the hat was hinting towards.

But it was enough for Draco to viciously shout his wants in his mind for the hat.

"Hm… if you're so sure…. SLYTHERIN!" the hat bellowed.

Draco almost threw the hat off his head as he moved to leave. He ignored the stern eye of disapproval from Professor McGonagall for his treatment of the old relic. He especially ignored the tall red head and glasses wearing boy watching him as he walked. Draco kept his head high with a sneering smirk on his lips as his robes turned Slytherin green.

It wouldn't do well for the rest of the world to spot the shaky trembling of his knees as he walked.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

The next few minutes left Harry squirming impatiently. The longer he waited for his turn, the greater his doubts on everything being real grew. Sally Anne-Perks had just been called up for her sorting when Ron elbowed his side with a glowering frown.

"I'll kill em, the bloody gits! Look at them! It'll be a miracle if Hermione even bothers to talk to me after all of this," the red-head grumbled.

Harry peered over to where Ron's twin brothers were tugging at Hermione's hair and talking over her head to each other. He spotted their friend Lee leaning over the table pushing them away from Hermione who was being squashed in between them. Poor Neville looked incredibly awkward from his place beside Lee. Harry would have said they were probably meaning well, but after the train, he doubted the twins were as kindly as they appeared.

"Poor Hermione," Harry sympathetically blurted.

"Why the bloody hell isn't Percy stopping them?" Ron continued with a mutinous frown.

Harry wryly eyed the older boy who was seemingly in deep conversation with another student. While Percy might _look_ rather busy, Harry thought it was _too_ coincidental the prefect was always looking opposite to where the twins were seated. In fact, chances were the older boy was deliberating turning a blind eye to the twins torment.

"Harry Potter," Professor McGonagall announced.

Harry was suddenly overwhelmed with nervous anxiety as the great hall erupted into whispers. He'd forgotten for a moment that his name meant something to the wizarding world. He turned a panicked gaze towards Ron who levelled him with a stern nod.

"You've got this Harry," the red head assured.

"But what if I don't? What if this is a mistake and I'm not supposed to be here?" Harry hurriedly blurted as Professor McGonagall called his name again.

Ron snorted as if Harry told a joke and Harry glared at the taller boy.

"Come on, mate, don't be daft. Of course, you're supposed to be here."

Maybe Harry's eyes showed just how bloody terrified he was, or maybe Ron was just that intuitive? Whatever the case, he nudged Harry forward with a softer more reassuring promise.

"Whatever happens Harry, I promise I've got your back."

Harry blinks incredulously at the taller boy, wondering why Ron would promise something like that when they'd just met. He especially wondered why he **believed** him and felt incredibly confident that Ron would keep his promise.

"Mister Potter, might we please continue the sorting?" Professor McGonagall scolded with a stern frown.

Harry took a deep breath and nodded, he approached the stool and settled on it stiffly. He caught a glance at Ron's smiling nod of support before the hat covered his eyes.

_'Hmm. Difficult. Very difficult.'_ A voice spoke in his head.

Harry swallowed despite the dryness of his throat and stubbornly steeled his nerves for his sorting.

He'll be fine, no matter what, he'll still have Ron.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

The great Hall was unnervingly quiet as all eyes watched the boy under the hat. Ron could hear a few whispers and couldn't help the scowl it brought to his lips. He glared at the students closest to him, annoyed to hear them betting on Harry's sorting, as if Harry was some sort of show. He folded his arms tensely and kept a careful eye on Harry's seated form under the hat.

Hermione had been so sure Harry would go to Gryffindor, but Ron wasn't so willing to believe it. It wasn't that he thought she was wrong, only that it was too obvious. He was willing to bet _everyone_ expected Harry to go to Gryffindor because he was the boy-who-lived. He'd might not have known Harry for long, but Harry seemed, to him at least, to be more than just brave and daring. Hermione said it was in the song, but Ron thought each of the house traits could apply to Harry. Besides, Hermione and Neville seemed a lot like a Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff when he first met them. Now look, their over there seated with the lions.

Ron knew better than to just assume things. Especially since Percy and the twins some how still got sorted into Gryffindor despite their cunning and ambition.

So, Ron waited with concentrated anticipation for Harry's sorting to be decided.

He rubbed at the dull ache in his chest where his scar was and ignored the noise around him.

No matter the house, Ron was going to keep his promise.

The calculative glint in his eyes would ensure it.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

The hat had been silent for a long while and Harry fidgeted on the stool anxiously. He was certain this was it. Any second now the Hat was going to announce there'd been a mistake and Ron was wrong and Harry didn't belong. He was sure that Professor McGonagall would pack him up onto the train and wave him back to the Dursley's.

The hat let out a deep chuckle and Harry tensed at the sound.

_'What a dramatic leap of thought.'_

Harry blushed an embarrassed pink and tried not to think anything unsavoury towards the hat. Another chuckle echoed in his head before silence reigned again.

_'You… are not what I expected Harry Potter. You've the courage of a lion, a mind full of wit and a resolve to toil that Helga Hufflepuff would have admired. Not even Salazar himself would have turned you from his house.'_

Harry sat a little straighter feeling mild relief. So, he wouldn't be sent home, that was a positive at least. The hat fell silent again and Harry tried not to feel too impatient.

_'I suppose the question I must pose to you, young Potter, is what exactly do you want?'_

Harry blinked with shock; the hat was letting him choose!

No one had ever asked him what he wanted before. Harry felt rather anxious over the sudden ability to choose something for himself. He thought hard and tried to puzzle out an answer.

Harry wanted… to belong.

He wanted somewhere he could be accepted, somewhere he would feel safe.

He wanted to be surrounded with people he could trust, people who would have his back.

Inadvertently, Harry thought back to the train ride with Ron, Hermione, and Neville.

He wanted a place he could call home.

_'I see…. It appears your mind has already been made,'_ the hat mused.

Harry grinned.

"Well if you're so sure, better be GRYFFINDOR!"

The Great Hall erupted in a loud cheer, the loudest of the entire night. The Gryffindor table was rowdy with applause, but Harry turned to Ron with a wide grin and received a smirking nod in return. As he stumbled his way towards his new house, marvelling as his tie turned Gryffindor red and gold, he didn't notice the rough guiding of the Weasley twins until it was too late.

"Congratulations Potter! Well done, Well done!" Fred cheered after roughly messing Harry's already messy hair.

"T-Thanks-"

"Absolutely thrilled to have you, mate. Thrilled!" George added as he tugged Harry into the space between him and Hermione.

"Uh- y-yeah?"

Harry blinked rather owlishly as Percy turned to them with a stern hiss.

"Hush! Quiet down it's almost time for Ron's sorting!"

The Weasley twins abandoned him immediately and turned their intense stares back to the sorting. Harry tensed as he realized he and Hermione were trapped between Fred & George for the rest of the sorting as well as feast. Hermione scoffed, likely reading his expression for what it was. She leaned over and quietly whispered in his ear.

"If you think they're bad now, imagine when Ron joins us."

Harry turned back to the front as Lisa Turpin was sorted into Ravenclaw.

"You really think he'll be in Gryffindor?" Harry anxiously replied.

Although Ron promised, it'd be just Harry's luck to choose Gryffindor and have one of his new friends sorted elsewhere. Harry didn't want to be greedy but… if Ron didn't get sorted into Gryffindor too, he might just do something to the hat. Hermione didn't seem to share his doubts as she let out an impolite snort and told him to watch.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"Ronald Weasley," Professor McGonagall called.

No one showed much interest in this sorting. 'Just another Weasley' they thought while gossiping with their friends. All except those who knew better.

Marcus Flint eyed the newest Weasley with hidden interest, careful not to show too much consideration. The boy looked unassuming as he lazily made his way to the stool. He didn't look at all afraid or nervous, which only added to the expectation he'd go to Gryffindor. Marcus continued to be suspicious because Percy Weasley would not have sought him out if Ronald Weasley were going to be an easy Gryffindor. When it came to the Weasley brood, it paid to be suspicious and wary. Marcus had learnt as much when the Weasley twins started and Percy first approached him.

Penelope Clearwater didn't bother to hide her curiosity towards Ronald Weasley. She'd found it incredibly sweet that Percy had been so worried over the boy. While she didn't think the youngest Weasley brother would end up in Ravenclaw, she kept careful attention just in case. She couldn't help but inwardly coo over the cuteness of the rather tall first year. She blushed as he rather reminded her of a first year Percy.

But it was Cedric Diggory over at the Hufflepuff table that looked unexpectedly nervous over Ron's sorting.

"Merlin Diggory, what's got you squirming in your pants? You've been out of sort since the Weasley twins cornered you," a Hufflepuff boy snickered.

Cedric shared a hollow laugh but didn't dare look away from the boy under the hat.

No one at Hogwarts tended to remember that the Diggorys and Weasleys lived rather close by to one another. In fact, Cedric actively went out of his way to keep that little fact a carefully guarded secret. It wasn't out of shame or anything unpleasant, it was for survival. At least, that's what Cedric would argue should anyone dare ask. He grew up with the Weasley children, had spent more than a few nights over at the Burrow as a child.

In saying that, he knew the Weasley's incredibly well and being in the same year with Fred & George meant they'd often been grouped together. So, Cedric knew all about 'little Ronnie' and the twins great big aspirations to see their precious little Ronnie kept happy and whole. He'd also suffered a slew of relentless pranks and jealous hazing from the Weasley children whenever 'little Ronnie' refused their company for Cedric's during sleepovers.

It hadn't mattered how much he begged his parents or argued, Cedric was always left to the Weasley's care when his parents were busy.

"Just a little curious if there'll be something different this time around," Cedric muttered

He earned himself a few more concerned glances at that, until the same boy responded.

"Yeah right, the kid's a Weasley. Everyone knows the Weasleys' are Gryffindors to the core."

Cedric shook his head but didn't bother explaining all the ways the boy was wrong. There was no way in Merlin that was true. Perhaps for the likes of Bill Weasley and Charlie Weasley, but Percy and the Twins? Nope, no way.

Not when it was Percy who told anxious first year Cedric the truth about the sorting hat. If it weren't for Percy, Cedric would have been seated among lions instead of his beloved crowd of badgers. It was Percy who assured him that if he wanted it bad enough, the hat would let him choose just as it had for him.

And Cedric had not wanted to spend his Hogwarts years roomed with the twins who'd featured in his nightmares for a time.

So, when the sorting hat finally speaks and Ron Weasley is sorted into Gryffindor, Cedric is up on his feet clapping like a father would at their child's graduation. Its nothing in comparison to the sudden fireworks that explode from Gryffindor table or the loud bellowing cheer Fred & George give, enhanced with the sonorous spell. A spell advanced enough to have the Ravenclaws in a tizzy over third years managing to cast it.

While the rest of Hogwarts blink with shock at the huge commotion the Weasley twins perform for their brother, Cedric settles into his seat with pure relief.

"What the hell?" someone mutters, but Cedric just laughs.

He laughs loudly until his belly aches as he watches Professor McGonagall scold the twins and threatens them with detention. All the while Ron Weasley trudges to the open seat Percy pompously motions to at his side. The poor first year's ears are plum red, and his shoulders are hunched high up to his ears, but it does little to hide him. It's not till the twins begin to dance a celebratory little gig chanting 'Ronnie, Ronnie' on repeat, that the first year has enough and snarls angrily at his brothers' to shut up and sit down. The twins beam but grudgingly settle offering careless apologies to Professor McGonagall that are obviously empty.

The school is so bewildered by the outlandish commotion, poor Blaise Zabini's sorting into Slytherin went ignored.

Everyone is too busy watching the older Weasley brothers fighting over one another to chatter their youngest brother's ear off. Then it becomes obvious that the boy appears to be good friends with Harry Potter. Nobody can bring themselves to stop staring, not even when Dumbledore himself takes the floor.

Not even the appearing food can drag their attention from the Weasley's who seem to have forgotten the world in favour of their brother.

"What the bloody hell was that?" someone on Cedric's right gaped.

"That," Cedric starts with a wide stretched grin, "was the arrival of Little Ronnie Weasley."

Cedric filled his plate feeling overwhelming relief and growing excitement now that it was confirmed Ron would not be in his house. It was nothing against Ron. It was just that the twins had been incredibly specific on what they'd do to Cedric if Ron were sorted into Hufflepuff and Cedric failed to watch out for him.

And Cedric understood from experience that one should never take anything the Twins said lightly.

He bit into his bread roll with mild glee as he watched the Weasley boys. One thing Cedric knew for sure was that this year was bound to be incredibly entertaining. If Hogwarts thought Charlie Weasley had been crazy overprotective with his brothers, he doubted they'd expect Percy and the Twins to be worse.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter: The First Week.**

The thing about Fred & George is that the words 'boundaries' and 'taking it too far' tended to get lost or forgotten amid their troublesome mischief. They weren't _intentionally_ cruel or malicious. They just forgot that what's funny to them, isn't always funny for others.

"Alright Harry? You haven't seemed to have touched your peas?" George prompted as he sipped at his juice.

Harry smiled tightly as he tossed his peas about on his plate. The glasses wearing boy had lost his appetite after Fred had slung his arm over his shoulder. The bushy haired witch beside George hadn't let up with her glare since the food appeared, but George wasn't bothered in the slightest. She rather reminded him of a kneazle, a pissed off one, sure, but a kneazle none the less.

"Dunno, I suppose I'm just not that hungry," Harry muttered.

"Oh, come on now, don't be shy. Here, have a bit of mash," Fred grinned while spooning mash onto Harry's plate.

George would have snickered at his twin's act if both weren't distracted by the loud bang from across the table. When Fred & George faced forward, they were met with their little Ronnie's furious glare. Fred & George swallowed warily, suddenly reminded of the last time Ron had given them _this_ snarl and glare.

"That's it. Stop it right now you bloody arse and leave my friends alone. I don't care about this 'tradition' shit Charlie made up. You stop it right now or I'm gonna write Bill tonight!"

The twins immediately jolted away from Hermione and Harry. Even Percy adopted a look of unease at the threat, but Ron continued to wear his stubborn scowl.

"Merlin Ron, ease up! It was only a bit of fun, no need to drag Bill into this," the twins frantically waved off.

Ron didn't look convinced in the slightest and the twins started to panic. It was no longer a game of fun when someone cried for Bill, and if it were Ron to write their oldest sibling, the twins were deader than dead. Especially, as Bill had warned them the night he left, to mind their mischief when it came to Ron. Fred & George quickly glanced to Percy but from his stiff posture, the threat of Bill had clearly affected him too.

"It's alright Ron," an unexpected voice piped.

Fred & George looked down at the first-year girl between them. Neither boy liked the smiley expression she wore or the dangerous glint in her eyes. George even felt the need to scoot away from the girl with how she seemed to handle her steak knife. Fred hadn't been kidding about this one, she was a ballsy little shit.

Hermione smiled at Ron and began to cut into her steak.

"Honestly, Harry and I can take a bit of fun. Can't we Harry," she prompted.

Harry looked at her like she was mad but didn't hesitate to nod in quick agreement. He took careful note of the narrowed stare Percy was giving Hermione, before turning to Ron.

"Right, We can take a joke," he repeated.

Ron frowned, obviously hesitant to believe them but then Percy added his own opinion on things.

"You see Ronald," Percy started with a smile, "No need to write Bill about a bit of fun."

Still reluctant, Ron eventually let the matter drop and tore into his drumstick with a grudging frown. Hermione and Harry didn't relax and the tension between them and the older Weasley's still lingered, but they did manage a few more bites off their plates. On Ron's left Neville practically melted with relief while Lee let out a whistle and shook his head with grim praise.

"Well, maybe Wood and I _should_ meet tonight. What? With all this tension and such," he joked towards George.

Fred & George glared at their friend clearly wanting him to shut up.

On George's other side, Oliver jumped to his feet and leaned across the table towards Ron.

"So great to finally meet you little Ronnie. Absolute pleasure! Heard a mighty great amount-"

"Oliver, get your sleeves out of the soup!" Percy snapped, but Oliver ignored him.

"-about you! Now, is it true you've a love for flying? An interest in Quidditch maybe? A specific position of interest?" he continued.

Ron swallowed his mouthful and gave the older boy a squinty glare. He didn't say a word for few moments before he turned to Percy with a questioning tilt. Percy cleared his throat and swallowed his mouthful and carelessly gave an introduction.

"Yes, right, Ron this is Oliver Wood. Wood this is my-"

Ron looked back at Oliver with a different glint in his eye. Oliver couldn't help but think the boy looked a lot like Percy when wearing that expression.

"You're Percy's friend, the quidditch nutter. Charlie warned me about you…"

Harry shared a look with Neville that was equally amazed and horrified, as Oliver's eyes grew starry. Percy seemed rather pleased at Ron's rather rude tone towards his friend, which didn't make a lick of sense to the first years. Harry, Hermione, and Neville were starting to wonder if they'd been lucky not to have siblings, considering the insanity the Weasley siblings appeared to be.

"Charlie Weasley told _you_ about _me_. Amazing!" Oliver gushed before sending a smug look towards Lee.

The rest of the feast continued relatively well after that. The twins behaved themselves and Harry's appetite returned. Sure, Ron struggled to equally divide his attention between his demanding siblings and his new friends, but it was no longer tense. Except for the minor hiccup when Hermione overheard Neville explaining to Lee how he found out he had magic.

The whole table jumped with surprise when the young witch stabbed her steak knife deep into the table wood.

"Your Uncle Algie did what?" she hissed, her hair seeming to frizz in response to her fury.

Ron's expression had shifted as well into something rather murderous. Harry had been too distracted by Percy's lecture on the school ghosts to have heard.

"What? What did he say?" he prompted with a furrowed brow.

"Um n-nothing, just-" Neville stuttered uncomfortably.

Hermione had turned to Ron looking incredibly scary with her eyes narrowed darkly.

"That can't possibly be legal! Tell me there's a procedure for something so-"

To Neville's relief, Percy interfered and stared the girl down into compliance.

"I assure you, _Ms Granger_ , the delicate matters of ones home life is always handled with care when brought to attention."

Harry could hear the warning in the Weasley prefect's tone, that was just shy of reprimand. Hermione opened her mouth, most likely about to push the topic due to her anger, but Harry elbowed her sharply in the side. Ron must have kicked her under the table too as she leaned forward with a hiss. She shut her mouth with an audible click, but it was too late to rescue the previous vibe from before.

All of them sat in awkward tension, unsure of how to break it.

"L-look…" Neville started with a shaky breath.

Despite the loud chatter beyond their gathered group, they all heard the timid boy loud and clear.

"Gran made sure I never saw him again, b-but he was only trying to help. C-could we just… forget I said anything."

Of course, they couldn't possibly forget something like that, especially when it was towards timid Neville.

It was the first official negative strike Hermione marked against the Magical world. One she mentally noted to add to her notebook later tonight.

It cemented Ron's decision to look out for Neville and ensure the boy would know he could always find help among the Weasleys.

Harry, however, suddenly felt a kinship with Neville. One that was different to what he felt for Hermione and Ron. Harry saw a bit of his younger self in Neville and he didn't like what it possibly meant. He didn't like it at all.

"Okay," Harry agreed with a nod.

Neville hesitantly smiled but looked a lot surer when Ron gave him a friendly pat and agreed with Harry.

"Yep, totally forgotten. Hey Percy, who's that guy over there in the turban?" Ron distracted prompting Percy to introduce the teachers for Neville.

Hermione looked to Harry expectantly, while Ron carefully watched from the corner of his eye. Harry made sure both saw his slow nod of reassurance. There was no way they were going to forget any of that. Absolutely none. Neither of them had ever made friends of their own before, and considering their first meeting with Neville, they felt rather protective over the boy. So no, they would not be forgetting this 'Uncle Algie' incident and will be paying awfully close attention whenever Neville talks about his home and family.

By the time desert had appeared, the earlier awkwardness was almost forgotten.

Almost, but not quite.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Fred & George communicated with one another above the heads of the first years between them. It was downright hilarious that their little Ronnie and his two pets seemed to have forgotten they weren't alone. Fred crinkled his nose with irritation, still feeling rather sour about the train and the missed opportunity to test one of their products. George twitched his brow prompting Fred to lowly huff but behave. Fine, he'd keep in line for now, at least till little Ronnie eased his guard over his new pets and settled into Hogwarts.

Still… Fred blinked twice with his left eye and was rewarded with short twitch of George's lips.

A curl of excitement and eager glee pounded in his chest at the promise.

If George didn't see a problem with it, then it couldn't possibly be that bad. Fred dug into his pudding and eagerly started to plan for the next couple of months. He knew George was doing the same as he added a few sprinkles to his ice-cream. The twins were beyond excited this year and weren't doing a good enough job at hiding it. The way Percy fiddled with his prefect badge while eyeing them sternly was pretty much his way of giving his blessing. Fred couldn't help the glee that bled into his rather toothy grin.

Too caught up in their excitement and plans, the Weasley twins missed more than half of Dumbledore's speech. The two only tuned in for the school song.

" _Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts teach us something please…"_

Fred & George sang slow and deep, loving the disturbed looks those closest to them eyed them with. As the rest of the school stopped singing and watched them with impatience, irritation, and mildly discomforted glares. Fred and George grinned as they reached the last few lines.

" _Just do your best, we'll do the rest, and learn until our brains all rot."_

The fact Dumbledore was even conducting their funeral march rendition of the school song, was absolute gold.

"Ah, music," he said while wiping his eyes.

"A magic beyond all we do here! And now bedtime. Off you trot!"

While Percy led the first years away, the twins barely made their escape when Lee accosted them with a suffering sigh.

"What are you two planning?" he resignedly asked.

"Nothing too great," they assured.

"A bit of chaos," George started

"A touch of trouble," Fred added

"A sprinkle of fun," they said together.

Lee sighed and shook his head while muttering about another year with little sleep.

"Just… take it easy on them. I know he's the boy-who-lived and she's rather weird, but they're still just first years."

Fred and George share a look, but don't bother to tell Lee of their thoughts. There was no way Hermione Granger and Harry Potter were mere 'first-years'. Not after their ballsy little displays at the station, on the train and tonight during the feast. There was something about Granger and Potter that called to their little Ronnie.

Their little Ronnie had never really set 'boundaries' when it came to the twins.

Ron had always let them do as they please with his things and be as mortifying as they wished when it came to him and people he accompanied.

It was Bill, not Ron, who punished the twins about their treatment towards Cedric during sleepovers. Ron had just stopped hanging out with Cedric and spent more time with them, just as they wanted. The first time Ron had ever threatened them into stopping one of their games was when they'd made Ginny 'cry'. The little faker had known exactly what she was doing, and they still felt equally proud and irritated about it to this day.

So, what made Harry Potter and Hermione Granger so special?

Tonight, Ron had drawn the line in the sand regarding those two.

The twins' knew where it started but needed to know where it ended.

How far could they toe the line?

More importantly…

Could they taunt Potter and Granger into crossing it first?

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"Oi!" Ron snarled protectively as he covered Neville and Harry from the falling walking sticks.

The other first-years yelped in fright as the poltergeist cackled and continued to throw things down at them. Percy had his wand out with a terribly upset glower on his lips. Harry could suddenly see the relation between the prefect and Ron a lot more clearly. After waving his wand about uttering threats to tell the Bloody Baron, Percy managed to chase the ghost away.

"That, young first years, was Peeves. Do be careful around him, he may seem harmless on a good day but always be weary. You just might find yourselves a victim to one of his tricks that turns deadly," Percy grimly warns.

Harry swallows and tightens his grip on Neville's robe and can hear the scratch of Hermione's pencil against her notebook. He's not the only one feeling a little unnerved by the warning as he hears the Irish boy mumble to his friend.

"Well shit, I think the hat made a mistake."

Ron however rolled his eyes and loudly grumbled about Percy's warning.

"As if you and the other prefects don't have a patrol roster specifically to watch for the bloody menace."

Percy's grim expression turned into a haughty smirk as he turned and continued to lead them. All the first years looked to Ron and the red head huffed with exasperation.

"Don't mind him. He's just being a bloody show off. Peeves won't kill us, but his pranks can be pretty nasty."

One of the girls looked at him doubtfully while her friend clutched at her arm.

"And how would you know?"

But Ron hadn't heard, too busy helping Harry deal with Neville's aching knee after tripping due to Peeves' scare. In his stead, Hermione flips the page of her notebook, the paper rustling rather loud in the corridor.

"Percy is his brother and likely has more than enough experience with the likes of that poltergeist. I doubt the school would name him a prefect if he weren't equipped to help and protect the students," she said.

The girl warily eyed Hermione, who'd already marched forward after Ron, Harry, and Neville. The remaining first-years watched the four walk ahead and shared uneasy glances with one another.

"They seem a bit…" Dean Thomas raised, but was cut off by Seamus Finnegan's own input.

"…bloody intense, yeah? We all saw it, how Granger was going to gut that pug girl! What's with the book too? You think she's gunning to be a reporter or something?"

Lavender Brown didn't know what to think about Hermione Granger. The girl was scary, and that showdown earlier had been right terrifying. She was probably a delinquent or something, and very obviously a muggle born. She wouldn't have dared to talk to Parkinson like that if she weren't. But then, Harry Potter himself seemed to like her, so she mustn't be too bad.

"Neville seemed okay though, right?" Parvati Patil piped in.

The four shared another look but quickly hurried to catch up to the others.

The thing is, unlike Potter, Granger and Weasley, Neville did look rather sweet. They all attempted to try and talk with the boy before the sorting but…. Since the boat, they never got a chance. None of them could muster enough courage to approach the boy, not when Granger and Weasley were sending glares out and all but caging Potter and Neville between them. The round boy had been incredibly polite and a bit cute on the train when he was looking for his toad.

They'd all rather hoped to befriend him after the sorting.

"There you are, I must insist you keep up. I assure you there will be plenty of time to explore the school during your stay," Percy lightly scolded once they'd reached them.

Lavender felt a little annoyed with the prefect. Why was he scolding them and ignoring Potter and Granger drifting a little down the corridor? As if sensing her stare, the prefect looked towards her with an arched brow that was a little intimidating. But she was Lavender Brown and while her family might not be as notable among wizards; she was also a pure blood. She had her pride.

Lavender squared her shoulders and loudly spoke.

"We're here now, aren't we? Now are you going to show us to our rooms or not?"

She did her best to ignore the hard stare the younger Weasley sent her way, or the sudden return of Granger and Potter. It helped that she had Parvati at her side with Dean and Seamus behind her. Percy Weasley stared at her intently before a smile appeared on his lips. Lavender felt incredibly uneasy under his attention.

"What is your name?" he invites.

She shifts on her feet, unable to describe the quivering in her chest at being held under his stare. It's uncomfortable and just on the edge of terrifying. But the hat put her in Gryffindor for a reason and she states her name with a haughty huff.

"Lavender," she says, offering no last name.

For whatever reason, the prefect appears pleased and his stare eases. Lavender wonders why she feels like she passed some sort of test.

"Oh, enough with that nonsense, Percy. Let the wee ones in so they can get settled. You can have your fun again tomorrow," the painted fat lady behind him giggles.

Percy's smile becomes charming as he chats with the portrait. Lavender however tenses as she finds herself under the regard of Potter, Granger and Weasley. The three look at her as if she's one step away from attacking them or some other. It irritates her how terrified she feels.

"Percy's a bit stiff, but he means well," Weasley offers in a tone that sounds comforting.

Lavender thinks she might have felt comforted if not for the way Potter narrows his eyes at her.

"Yeah, no worries. Completely understood. Just a bit impatient to get a bit of rest, you know?" Seamus pipes as he steps forward.

Merlin, Lavender wants to hug him as now Potter is staring at him instead.

"Right, a bit of rest would be nice," Potter mutters but he's still watching them with distrust.

The tension among them feels as if its growing to mirror the previous first year standoff before the sorting. Lavender is trying not to backdown. She never meant to pick a fight with the trio before them. Perhaps she should have taken her mum's advice and been careful with who she gives attitude to.

"Um, everyone? Percy's opened the dorms for us. M-maybe we should go inside?" Neville awkwardly announced.

The round boy had found himself stuck in between the two groups, watching with wide eyes as the tension rose. He tried not to squeak with alarm at how all eyes turned to him accompanied with soft and friendly smiles.

"Oh, of course Neville," Parvati chirped before she strode forward and linked arms with Neville.

"Ugh, this means we missed the password!" Weasley groans.

"It's Caput Draconis, I wrote it down while Harry was being all dramatic," Granger blithely assured.

"W-What? I was not!" Potter exclaimed.

Seamus lets out a belly aching laugh and then starts to joke at Potter's expense. Granger encourages him by absently adding on to whatever comments he makes, and its enough to kill the tension completely. Soon enough their all trooping through the entrance and marvelling at the Gryffindor common room. Percy is in deep conversation with one of the portraits, but he does spare a few seconds to explain which sides lead to what dorms. He seems rather busy and looks rather concerned about whatever their talking about, so the first years don't pester him any further.

Throughout it all…. Lavender feels incredibly uneasy about what's just happened.

"You think so too…." Dean whispers as they watch the others.

"Think what?" she quietly responds.

He's eyeing Potter, Granger and Weasley with wary eyes, just like she is.

"There's something about them that's just…. Strange, something off."

But their interrupted before Lavender could respond. Neville ambles over with a bashful grin and endearing smile that is just too cute to witness.

"Hi, erm, I thought I'd introduce myself again. Since I mucked it up back on the train,"

Lavender forgets all about the weirdo first-years and lets out a giggling squeal at having the attention of a cute boy. It's a bit rocky and awkward at first, but eventually they all split to get ready for bed. Parvati and Lavender carefully don't meet Granger's eyes, not too comfortable with the rather scary girl. They also struggle to fall asleep with the girl being a bed a post away.

Hermione notices none of that, too busy thinking about tomorrow to care.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Unlike the other boys, Harry can't stop himself from yawning. The excitement of the day has worn him down completely. He can barely keep his eyes open long enough to mind his step, let alone marvel at the room.

"Watch it, Harry! Come on then, let's get you settled in bed before you walk into a wall or something," Ron sighed as he guided Harry towards their shared bathroom.

Its cramped and small, but enough for five boys. Harry is only half aware of Ron's guidance as he drowsily brushes his teeth. Ron on the other hand is doing a fine job of multitasking. He keeps conversation with the other three boys watching from their bedposts, all the while handing Harry whatever he needs. Soon enough, Harry's stumbling behind Ron towards his new bed, hiding yet another yawn behind his hand.

The boys dorm grows quiet, but Ron is too busy helping a sleepy Harry under the covers to notice. Harry feels Ron take off his glasses and place it on his bed dresser. He yawns one last time before snuggling into his sheets, above him he hears Ron snort. There's a soft whisper and a light pat on his head as Ron bids him goodnight.

The last thing Harry hears before sleep takes him completely is a loud cough.

"Erm... Weasley, did you just tuck Potter in?"

A sleepy smile settles on Harry's lips as he sleeps to the sound of his chatting dorm mates.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Harry doesn't dream of colours but of a tent instead. It's cold and uncomfortable but he's not alone. He shares the tent with two others, a girl with brown eyes and a tall boy with a head of red. They're bickering with one another but are very gentle as they hover over him. The girl leans over him and kisses his head, bringing him warmth.

"Sleep well, Harry" she whispers, and the boy carefully takes off his glasses and pats him lightly on the head.

"We'll see you in the morning," he promises.

Suddenly, Harry no longer feels the cold of the tent. All he feels is warmth in his chest wrapped in a cocoon of safety. The hurtful green light shines outside the tent, but no matter how it tries, it can't enter. Harry knows without a doubt he's safe.

By the time morning comes, Harry is incredibly well rested. He can't stop the grin on his lips or the giddy twist in his belly. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tries, he can't remember his dream. He decides it must have been about his parents, as he can only recall red hair and eyes of brown.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Harry looks over to Ron's bed but finds the boy is still sleeping. He blinks with surprise at how different Ron looks when he sleeps. He hadn't realized just how grumpy the taller boy usually appeared. Ron's mouth is slack and slightly open as he snores, the furrows of his brows have smoothed out and he looks incredibly relaxed. Harry claps a hand over his mouth to quiet his snickering at the sight. A loud thump from across the room startles Harry and he turns towards the noise.

Dean freezes in place, awkwardly trying to smile apologetically for the noise.

"Oops, sorry about that," he whispers.

Harry tries not to feel embarrassed at being caught staring at Ron. He'd not even noticed he wasn't the only one awake. He hopes Dean doesn't think he's a freak who likes to stare at boys while they sleep. Dudley told him plenty of times that he had a freaky habit of staring off into space like a loon. Ugh, it would be just his luck.

"s'alright…" Harry mumbles.

Dean gives a slow nod and continues to get ready. Harry shuffles out of bed and hovers, uncertain of what to do next. He thinks he should try conversing with Dean but can't bring himself to try. Not when Dean just caught him doing something embarrassing. To Harry's great relief, Dean starts the conversation for him.

"Sleep well?" the boy asks while buttoning up his uniform shirt.

"Yep! Fine, really good, actually," Harry hastily blurts.

"Great. Nev's awake too. Erm…Seamus was loud last night. Ron was worried he'd wake you," Dean explained.

Harry blinked realizing he was the only one to sleep early last night. He tried not to feel left out but it was hard. He also didn't miss the fact Dean had used Ron's first name rather familiarly. Harry realized he'd been quiet for too long when Dean looked over to him questioningly.

"Oh, no, yeah. I slept well. Um, didn't hear a thing, actually."

Harry inwardly beat himself up for sounding so stupid. Dean started to nod again, but the silence between them was slowly turning awkward.

"That's… great…" Dean muttered as he worked on his tie.

Harry looked over to where Ron slept and inwardly begged the boy to wake up soon. If Ron woke up now, Harry would consider the boy a life saver. But Ron looked nowhere near waking up, in fact the boy had just turned over and continued to snore. Harry took a deep breath and tried to think of something else to say.

"Listen-"

"Hey-"

Harry quickly shut up again, mirroring the tortured expression Dean was wearing on his own face. The silence between them was agonising and beyond awkward now. Neither boy particularly wanted to try again as they had no idea what to say to one another. So, when the bathroom door opened to reveal a fresh-faced Neville, Harry inwardly wept with joy.

"Morning Harry, sleep well?" Neville greeted with a smile.

"Brilliant! You too?" Harry eagerly greeted.

Neville nodded as he dried his hair and made his way to his bed. Harry was avoiding looking in Dean's direction, so he missed the boy's clasped hands of grateful praise towards Neville. Neville just furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Well, um… bathroom's free if you want it?" Neville slowly spoke.

"Thanks, Nev!" Harry quickly blurted before hurrying towards it.

Dean waited until he heard the gushing tap behind the tightly shut bathroom door. Only then did he hurry over to Neville and practically hug the round boy.

"Neville, you're a bloody life saver!" He near wept.

"What? What did I do?" Neville asked utterly confused.

But Dean didn't get to explain as Ron chose that moment to wake up. He grunted and groaned as he sat up in his bed. Dean noticed that the red head had looked over to Harry's empty bed first, before bothering to look anywhere else.

"Morning Nev, Dean. Harry up?" Ron grumbled as he rubbed at his eyes.

"Bathroom," Dean shortly informed.

Neville wondered what the heck had happened between Dean and Harry, as the two boys avoided one another for the rest of the morning. Harry stuck close to Ron and Dean kept close to a lazy Seamus. In fact, Neville thought Harry was unusually quiet as he'd not really conversed with anyone but Neville and Ron. By the time they'd reached the common room, the girls were already there.

"Took you long enough," Hermione huffed as she put away her notebook and pencil.

"What? No morning? Bit rude of you, have you no manners?" Ron teased with a smirk.

Hermione glared at him while Harry chuckled, finally looking relaxed.

"Blimey, what happened to the two of you? You look like shit," Seamus loudly exclaimed as Lavender and Parvati joined them.

The two girls were pale with puffy bags under their eyes looking exhausted. Their uniforms were rumpled and hastily thrown on, even their hair looked messy.

"Don't. Say. A. Word. Finnegan" Lavender hissed with a dark glare.

The trio took no notice, caught up in their own conversation. Or in the case of Ron and Hermione, caught up in their bickering while Harry urged the two on with timely comments and laughter.

"You won't believe what happened this morning," Parvati whispered catching Dean's attention.

"You too?"

"What are you-"

Neville didn't get to finish asking what they were talking about, as Ron called out to him questioningly.

"Aren't you coming with for breakfast?" the red head asked leaving it open to the others as well.

Harry and Hermione were watching from behind him, and Neville wondered why the rest of their Gryffindor year mates shuddered.

"Um…" the timid boy hedged.

"Sorry Ron, but the rest of us were going to send our letters home," Seamus answered.

"What?" Neville questioned only to get nudged in the back by Lavender.

"Yes, exactly. We'll join you later," she added with a sweet smile as she batted her lashes at Ron.

Ron shrugged and waved them off before continuing forward with Hermione and Harry. Harry however stared at their group a little longer. Nobody relaxed until the boy-who-lived had turned his complete attention back to his bickering friends.

"Oh, thank God," Dean sighed with relief.

"Look, I'm just going to say it. Granger is a complete psychopath! I woke up to her muttering like-like some hedge witch mid-ritual!" Lavender blurted.

"Well, I caught Potter staring at Ron while he slept this morning," Dean admitted

"What? Why didn't you wake me up!?" Seamus demanded.

"But that's not all Granger did! She made us stay up majority of the night to write up dorm rules! We didn't get to sleep until 2 this morning!" Parvati added.

"Well, Ron tucked Potter in like a baby!" Seamus shot back.

Lavender and Parvati looked to him with incredulous disbelief.

"Wait a minute, why do you sound jealous?" Parvati questioned.

Seamus huffed and shook his head while Dean rolled his eyes.

"He's just put out because when he tried to get Ron to do the same for him, Ron told him to sod off."

Lavender and Parvati giggled while Seamus grumbled about Potter getting special treatment. All the while, Neville stood among them feeling completely blindsided and unsure of what was happening. When he did find his voice, they all turned to him with sympathetic looks.

"I-I thought we were going to send letters?"

Lavender cooed and pat him on the cheek causing him to flush pink.

"Ngaw, you're just too cute,"

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Ron had already grabbed himself a plate and was quickly filling it with toast and eggs before Hermione or Harry had even sat down.

"Right, I think Dean hates me," Harry miserably announced as he opted for cereal rather than bacon or eggs.

"Nonsense Harry, Dean's only just met you," Ron absently assured.

"Yes, but you weren't awake this morning when it was just the two of us! He hates me!"

Harry, too caught up in his misery, took no notice of the whispering stares around him. Hermione on the other hand took careful note of each individual and scribbled hasty descriptions into her notebook. She thought it rather interesting that students were equally whispering about Harry _and_ Ron. Not that it was surprising after the large commotion the Weasley twins made during last night's feast.

"Of course, he doesn't. It was probably just nerves because you're the boy-who-lived or whatever. Right, Hermione?" Ron prompted around a mouthful of toast.

Hermione hummed and sipped at her coffee.

"Certainly, unless he actually _does_ hate you for no apparent reason."

Harry turned to Ron and motioned at Hermione feeling validated. Ron however was scowling at the girl across from him hard enough to prompt her to look up. She peered at him from above the rim of her cup, unaffected by his glare.

"Could you at least pretend to be helpful?" Ron huffed.

"I don't lie unless it'll benefit me," she easily responds causing both boys to peer at her with fascination.

"Really? So, what- wait, is that…. Are you drinking coffee?" Harry blurts with surprise.

Ron's usual frown returns, and he reaches out and snatches Hermione's cup. The girl growls at him and leans over to snatch it back, but Ron's arms are longer and easily keep it beyond her reach.

"Give it back! I need that!" she snaps, her wild hair makes her look crazed and Harry shrinks closer to Ron.

Ron, however, clicks his tongue and shakes his head with disapproval.

"You can't drink coffee, you're eleven!"

Harry nods in agreement but stays carefully close to Ron.

"He's right you know, it stunts your growth," he pipes in trying not to snicker at the rage in Hermione's eyes.

He's never teased anyone like this before. No wonder Ron likes to mess with her so much. Besides, she did say during the feast that she could take a joke.

"For your information, I've been drinking coffee since I was eight!" Hermione hisses.

Both Harry and Ron gape at the girl, but Ron finds his words first.

"Merlin, no wonder you come off as such a priss!"

Harry loses it then and laughs loudly while Hermione attempts another lunge for her cup. It all comes to an end when Percy passes by with his Quidditch friend and snatches the cup out of Ron's hand.

"Ronald, you very well know that coffee at your age is no good for you," Percy scolds.

Ron growls as Percy pats down a few strands sticking up out of place on his head. The prefect then takes a sip of the drink and continues forward leaving a disgruntled Ron, a Flabbergasted Harry, and an irate Hermione in his wake.

"You're going to regret this," Hermione vows with a dark glare towards Ron.

Ron recovers from Percy's sudden appearance and turns to the girl with a smug smirk. He pours her some pumpkin juice instead and motions to her bowl of oatmeal.

"You'll thank me when you're not as shrimpy as Harry here," he teases.

Harry turns to Ron with an offended glare but doesn't get to give a reply as McGonagall reaches them. The transfiguration Professor looks down at them with an arched brow. Harry can't help but try to tidy his hair while Ron gives a charming grin.

"Morning Professor," the two boys chirp.

"Mister Potter, Mister Weasley, Miss Granger," she greets in turn.

Hermione completely abandons her meal in favour of holding both hands out expectantly. Harry and Ron stare at the girl who's doing a swell job of mirroring Oliver Wood's excitement during last nights feast. Professor McGonagall obliges and gives the three a copy of their class schedule. Hermione starts muttering under her breath, calculating the time gaps between each class. Harry and Ron share a glance with one another at the girls manic behaviour.

"I expect you all to arrive on time and to be presentable," Professor McGonagall warns before she moves on.

Harry sags with relief and mumbles inconsolably.

"I swear she's talking about me every time she says that. I can't help it! My hair's just like this!" he whined.

Ron pat him on the back consolingly but was busy eyeing the incoming owls with the morning mail.

"I hardly doubt she is, why would she? Your hair is fine, suits you."

"You think?" Harry pressed hopefully.

Ron spots his family owl and confidently grins towards Harry.

"Absolutely!"

"Ugh! Would you look at this? We've only got ten minutes to find our way to our next classroom!" Hermione pointed out with an annoyed huff.

"What? But we don't even _know_ where the classrooms are!" Harry panicked as he looked down at his own schedule.

Ron was busy watching Errol, the old family owl, as it fumbled through the air. Just as the bird was starting to nosedive in his direction, Ron leapt to his feet and caught the bird, startling Harry, and those around him. Ron calmed the wildly flapping bird as he settled back into his seat as if nothing had happened.

"There, there Errol. Here, have some bacon," he soothed.

"Ron, that was brilliant!" Harry blurted with wide eyes of awe.

Ron shrugged his shoulders more interested in the letter he was untying from the owls leg. Hermione found herself trapped in a staring contest with the wide-eyed owl, one Harry was sure she was winning. Harry jumped again as twin red heads sidled up on either side of him out of nowhere.

"Amazing catch, little Ronnie," the twins praised right by Harry's ear.

Ron glared at them and the twins backed off allowing Harry to relax.

"Anything for us," Fred started

"Especially from the imp?" George finished.

Ron grunted but handed over something that looked like a bottle cap that was attached to Errol's leg with red string. The twins grinned unnervingly wide smiles that made Harry shiver.

"Bless you," they thanked, quickly messing Ron's hair until it was a wild mess and running off.

Harry wondered if he'd ever get used to the crazy that was the Weasley twins.

"Hah! I knew she'd get stuck by now," Ron grinned.

Harry tried to ignore the tugging curiosity he felt towards the letter. He knew it would be rude to read the letter without Ron's express permission. Ron saved Harry from feeling awkward by leaning over so Harry could read his letter too. Across from them Hermione smirked as Errol had shrunk back into his feathers in utter defeat.

"You were sleeping when Percy checked in on us last night. I asked him to send off my letter then because I knew Gin would've hit the hard stuff in her hunt by now. Looks like she's ready for some hints," Ron explained.

Harry smiled trying to ignore the envy that gripped him at seeing Ron's obvious pride in his little sister. He couldn't help but think she was lucky to have a brother like Ron. Ron turned to Hermione with a distracted gaze.

"Could I borrow a bit of your muggle parchment? I'll just be writing a quick note now and ask Percy for some parchment later tonight."

Hermione wryly nodded as she pet the rather docile owl in front of her.

"Why not just wait till tonight?" she asked.

Both Harry and Hermione watched Ron scribble his hint for his sister. They felt a wistful sort of envy at seeing the concentration Ron was giving his task.

"Gin's real impatient. She's got a right temper and wouldn't last more than a few hours in wait. Since it's just her and mum at home, if I don't hurry, she's bound to set mum off."

Hermione looked rather soft when she next spoke, both she and Harry admiring the red- head for his consideration.

"That's incredibly kind of you, Ron" Hermione praised.

"Not really, just makes sense" he shrugged off.

But the day had only just started, and the first years had quite the day ahead of them. The trio quickly finished their meal and hurried off to get their needed books and find their first classroom. It was their first day at Hogwarts, and all three felt a mix of weary excitement and anxiety.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Hermione quickly concluded that Hogwarts was a mess, a place without logic. She tightened her grip around her messenger bag till her knuckles turned white.

"You have got to be joking!" she snarled as the staircase began to shift.

Behind her were several groans in agreement, but none louder than Seamus.

"McGonagall's gonna kill us!" the boy cried.

Hermione growled and scratched at her scar with frustration, aware that her hair was beginning to frizz up again. Behind her she heard Harry kick the staircase with a grumbling curse.

"How are we supposed to get to where we need to be, if the whole bloody castle is working against us!" he protested.

Even Ron, who'd been doing his best to keep the atmosphere among them light-hearted, was starting to get a bit of a temper. The Gryffindor first years had decided to navigate the castle as a group rather than two separate ones. It was Neville's idea, and the initial awkwardness was quickly forgotten as their frustration grew. It didn't help in the slightest that the older students they passed would watch them with laughter in their eyes. Sure, some of them were helpful but it was always after a giggle or with a smirking smile.

Hermione hated it and soon enough so did the rest of her Gryffindor year mates'.

It felt way too much like a joke at their expense.

"If I have to walk into class and see those bloody snakes sitting smug and pretty, I'm going to scream," Lavender darkly hissed.

Unlike them, the Slytherin first years seemed to have no problem finding their classes. While they weren't always the last house to arrive, it annoyed them to constantly be greeted with Parkinson and Malfoy's uncontrollable snickering and mocking smirks. It ate at their pride and they would not stand for it any longer.

"That's it, I've had it," Hermione announced with a hard stomp of her foot.

Knowing she had everyone's attention, she stepped off the staircase and led them towards the nearest portrait. The painted maid quickly closed her eyes and feigned sleep, but Hermione was not having it. She held her pencil close to the canvas and lowly growled at the picture.

"Oh, stop pretending you haven't been watching! Have you had you're fun? Watching us look like fools?"

The maid opened her eyes, looking flustered at having the attention of all eight children. It was obvious that the group was leaving the entire confrontation in Hermione's hands. The maid looked to her fellow paintings, but they'd all scurried to hide after sensing Hermione's angry approach.

"I-I, Of course I-" the maid stuttered.

"Shut up, I don't care. Now, you and all your friends are going to help us get to class for the rest of the week," Hermione growled.

"For the rest of the year!" Seamus hastily corrected and Hermione nodded and revised her statement.

The maid's colouring seemed to pale as Hermione's eyes narrowed into near slits.

"If you don't, I'll draw you a new face and give you a pig pen for a home!" she threatened.

Finally finding some semblance of bravery the maid yelped indignantly.

"You can't! I've a preservation spell! I'm protected!"

Hermione grinned looking less than pleasant.

"I doubt the preservation charm works against _my_ muggle pencil."

The maid quickly gave directions looking frightened and more than disturbed. Hermione leaned back, tucking her pencil behind her ear, giving a satisfied nod.

"Good, now spread the word,"

The maid in the painting ran to the next portrait, immediately consumed by the crowd of painted individuals. Behind Hermione, the other first years, minus Ron, and Harry, had taken a large step back. They watched her like one would a ticking bomb. Ron snorted and shook his head.

"Now who's being dramatic," he teased while Harry slowly nodded in agreement.

"Would the spell really not work against a pencil?" Harry curiously wondered.

Hermione snorted and tossed her hair about as she started to walk.

"Of course not, she's got a _preservation_ charm on her. It's magic," she drawled.

Ron and Harry laughed as they trailed after her. Behind the trio, the rest of the Gryffindors traded another series of looks with one another.

"I told you, total psychopath that one," Lavender quietly hissed.

Nobody corrected her, not even Neville, as they all followed the trio.

To their great pleasure, they arrived at the same time as the Slytherins, feeling more than a little gratified at the upset frown on Parkinson and Malfoy's lips. They felt even greater when Professor McGonagall greeted them with an especially pleased smile, one that was said to be incredibly rare.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron sat right in the front paying close attention as McGonagall started her class with a stern talking to.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said.

"Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Harry swallowed at the threat while his heart pounded with excitement in his chest at seeing Professor McGonagall transfigure her desk to a pig and back. Ron wasn't as impressed, but he did enjoy watching Harry's wide-eyed wonder and Hermione's obsessive scribbling.

Hermione couldn't stop her wrist from writing, not even when it started to cramp. She'd dipped her quill into her ink pot so many times a few drops spilled over and stained her desk. She had smudged a bit of ink around her neck from when she rubbed at her scar and its dull ache. It was only once they'd reached the practical, when she stared at her success, did she find herself breathless, her scar no longer aching.

"Well done Miss Granger," McGonagall praised.

Hermione's eyes glittered with awe as she stared at the needle that was once a matchstick.

Not long after her, Ron had managed the same success and with a bit of help, so did Harry.

The trio took no notice of the attention they garnered from their year mates, too caught up in each other to notice.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

By Friday, the trio knew their way around the castle incredibly well. It helped that the portraits were always quick to warn them ahead of time if they were heading the wrong way. Hermione got a bit of a talking to from Percy for upsetting the portraits, but she was stubbornly unapologetic until Ron was forced to step in. Harry and Neville had watched it all go down from the sofa by the fireplace. Somehow, the entire confrontation ended with Hermione and Percy deliberating ways to assure future first years had a better understanding of Hogwarts layout.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Hermione as he passed his plate so Ron could add some sausages.

"Double potions with the snakes, we'll need to leave in 15 minutes if we want to get there early," she answered, not once looking up from her open textbook.

Ron was glaring at Hermione's cup, knowing it was coffee and that the girl was purposely ignoring him. What had started as a bit of fun teasing had turned into a real battle of wills. Harry had grown tired of it by Wednesday, but both Ron and Hermione were incredibly stubborn. Hermione protected her cup like a lioness would its cub.

"Potions? Which Professor teaches that?" Harry pondered as he looked over to the teachers table.

"Says here someone called Severus Snape," Hermione hummed while moving her cup out of the way from the ripped toast bits Ron was aiming towards it.

"Snape? I've heard of him. The twins say he's a right bastard and a greasy haired git. He's head of Slytherin house and apparently favours them."

Harry wasn't sure why he felt a sense of doom at that bit of news. There was a loud plopping noise and Hermione's face turned red while Ron's turned smug.

"I'll gut you Weasley, I swear I will," she growled pushing away her half full cup with a floating slice of sausage.

"I'm telling you, it's for your own good," Ron shrugged with a careless grin.

When the post came, with another expected letter to Ron from his sister, Harry was surprised when an owl dropped a letter his way. Hermione immediately looked up from her book, watching him carefully. Harry looked from the letter to Ron with obvious shock.

"We're you not expecting anything?" Hermione carefully asked.

Harry shook his head before quietly explaining.

"My Aunt and Uncle don't like magic, and my cousin wouldn't have an owl to send me anything."

Ron looked to Hermione and the two shared a nod. Hermione got her wand out and Ron emptied the big bowl of croissants and held it readily. After reading a book about curses and having Ron tell them about howlers, the trio were rather paranoid when it came to Harry. None of them were comfortable with the attention Harry's fame garnered, especially _why_ he was famous. Aunt Petunia read enough gossip mags and chatted about famous people for Harry to know that not everyone likes famous people. Hate mail was a definite thing and he wasn't willing to take any chances with possible _magic_ hate mail.

To their relief, nothing happened after Harry opened it. He scanned the letter with Ron reading over his shoulder. The two boys shared an uneasy glance prompting Hermione to reach over and grab it the second Harry offered. The girl's brows furrowed with hard thought and she rubbed at her neck where her scar pulsed.

"What do you think?" Ron prompted, ignoring the throb of his chest.

"It's concerning that he's been keeping track of you, but for the most part it seems harmless," Hermione mused.

Harry nodded feeling a little unsettled about Hagrid's invitation.

Still….

"You're considering it," Ron accused with a knowing nod.

"He knew my parents. I can't just ignore that," Harry sighed.

Ron and Hermione shared another nod before coming to a decision.

"Right, then we'll all go. It's not like he explicitly said you couldn't bring guests," Ron decides as the throb in his chest eases.

Hermione gives a small smile and stops rubbing at her neck.

"It'll be better to go in a group anyway. We'll let Percy know about the invitation and have him walk us over. It sounds better than a strange giant inviting over a lone eleven-year-old to his hut," she reasons.

Harry pales a bit as he hadn't even thought about it that way. She sighs as if she knew what he was thinking and shook her head disappointedly.

"Harry, I know you tend to forget, but you _are_ famous. You need to think about these things. Who knows what people in this school might do if you give them the chance?" she scolds.

Harry frowns feeling rather irritated at the fact she was right. He could take care of himself, thank you very much. Ron must have sensed his annoyance as the red head interfered before anything else could be said.

"He knows, Hermione, let him be. Here, write your response so we can get a move on. If the twins are right about Snape, I don't want to risk it. We're all going to be extra early if I can help it." He determined.

Hermione rolled her eyes while Harry obediently started to write his reply. Ron, satisfied with their compliance, looked down the table for Neville and the others.

"Oi! You lot are coming with us yeah? Best to stick together for this one," he called getting thumbs up and agreeing nods.

Harry couldn't help but grin after sending off his reply. Across from him Hermione scoffed and hissed a quick whisper in his direction.

"Kiss arse."

Harry glared at her and stuck out his tongue.

"Like you can talk, coffee hog," he muttered

Ron was much too busy trading jokes with Seamus to notice his friend's hissed bickering.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Neville had been rather optimistic towards his Potions lessons. After having a relatively good week, how could he not? While he wasn't the top of his class, he wasn't the worse either. He'd made friends with all his Gryffindor year mates' and never got lost once thanks to the portraits. So yes, he was feeling rather optimistic indeed.

This all changed the second the classroom doors opened with a dramatic bang. Professor Snape swooped in with a swirl of his dark robes and a scowl that could easily curdle milk. Neville immediately tensed in his seat next to Hermione, shrinking in hopes he wouldn't be noticed. The already dark and cold dungeon seemed to increase ten-fold with the Professor's presence. The whole room shifting from just creepy to horror inspiring.

Although nothing terrifying happened until Professor Snape took the register.

"Ah, yes," he said softly, yet in this sort of environment it sounded deadly rather than comforting.

"Harry Potter. Our new _celebrity_ ," he drawled.

Nobody said a word, heck, Neville doubted anyone was even breathing. All eyes darted over to where Harry sat stiffly in his seat beside Ron. Snape finished calling the names, but his cold dark eyes never once left Harry. Neville felt his skin crawl uncomfortably and he couldn't possibly imagine how Harry must be feeling. Professor Snape started to introduce the subject, but his soft tenor and dark stare sounded like the crooning lure of someone's nightmare. When Snape did look away from Harry it was to meet every single first year's wide-eyed stare.

For some reason, he held Hermione's stare last. Neville could feel his anxiety rising to scarily high levels, but the girl beside him never once blinked under Snape's stare.

"… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Neville hadn't realized he was quietly hyperventilating until Hermione had slipped her hand into his under their desk and gripped tightly. Snape had turned his stare on Neville by the end of his sentence. Neville had a feeling his nightmares would involve the dark endless glare of the Professor's eyes rather than Uncle Algie letting go of his leg. Neville doesn't know why or what prompts Snape's attention to switch, but he turns on his heel and points at Harry.

"Potter!" he barks.

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Neville can feel his breathing begin to even out, but his terror still exists. At his side Hermione had raised her hand and was ignored. Ron looked rather red in the face, but it was nothing compared to the confused twist of Harry's lips. Harry's eyes, though, were set in a glowering glare of poisoning green.

"I don't know, sir," Harry answered.

Snape sneered and approached their table with a slow gait.

"Tut, tut- fame clearly isn't everything," he mocked still ignoring Hermione's hand.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand higher, and this time Ron had raised his hand as well. Snape could obviously see Ron's hand, but he ignored it all the same. Harry's cheeks looked a little red, but otherwise he looked unaffected. Neville was struck dumb with awe at his bravery, but his own terror kept him from making a single sound.

"I don't know sir,"

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape quickly shot back.

Harry forced himself not to look away from the Professor's cold glare. He was vaguely aware of the fact Ron was gripping the edge of his wooden seat with his left hand while his right was still in the air. Harry never thought he could hate someone so much until now. Also, because of Hermione, Harry _had_ read his textbook twice over and none of this seemed familiar to him.

"One more, I suppose. What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Neville knew the answer to this one, but no matter how much he tried to raise his hand, he was too terrified to do it. The tension in the room was near suffocating but no one dared to disturb it. Not when Harry looked so humiliated while Professor Snape stared down at him cold and unyielding.

There was a loud shattering crash followed by the creaking snap of wood, causing everyone in the classroom to jump.

Neville sucked in a sharp breath as Professor Snape's robes swished and he turned in their direction. Hermione, with her hand still in the air, stared up at their professor with a dull stare equally as cold. She kept her back straight and her eyes hard as the burning of her scar nagged her relentlessly.

"If you _must_ know, _Professor_ , asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion powerful enough to earn the moniker Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and will save you from most poisons. As for your last question, they are the same plant and can also be identified as aconite."

Time seemed to have stopped as Hermione defiantly jutted out her chin. On the floor was the shattered remains of Hermione's ink pot staining the floor with black ink, seeping between the cracks like spilled blood. When she'd spoke, it had been with the barest amount of respect, borderline mocking. Neville could finally understand why Lavender insisted Hermione was insane.

"10 POINTS from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn," Snape snarled.

Ron snorted loudly and stared unashamedly when Snape turned his glare towards him.

"5 Points for Weasley's vulgar cheek!" he added.

Then Ron shrugged and dusted his hands letting splinters fall from his unclenched hand. Several students, including the Slytherins, felt their mouths drop open at his blatant attitude. Ron was practically daring Professor Snape into punishing him further. Unsurprisingly, that's exactly what Snape did.

"20 points for damage of school property!" he announced before turning a pointed glare towards Hermione, who hadn't once stopped her glare.

"EACH!"

Neville swore he heard someone gasp in shock as that racked up to a 55-point loss for Gryffindor.

"You can't do that!" Harry accused after jumping to his feet with his face twisted in rage.

Snape met Harry's glare, falling silent for a split second, before deliberately drawling his words.

"100 points from Gryffindor for blatant disrespect."

More than one first year gasped at that and Harry's eyes went wide with disbelief. If not for Ron's tight grip on Harry's robe, Neville's unsure of what would have happened next.

"As I am sure you will come to realize, _Potter_ , in this classroom, there is no such thing as _special_ treatment."

The stare off between Harry and Snape seemed to go on for years but no one dared to interrupt. Eventually, Snape broke it and Harry sat back down with a mutinous thump, his eyes never easing out of it's poisoning glare. Neville had found that it was him gripping Hermione's hand instead, as the girl kept reaching for her wand.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you," Snape warned.

He then ordered them to pair up and to ready the ingredients for the boil cure potion on the board. Neville took quick breaths as his back felt cold from his sweat and his hands still trembled. Ron and Harry had wandered over to their table and were in quick discussion with Hermione.

"Swap with me. We are going _excel_ at potions. Do you understand me?" Hermione hissed as she gathered her hair into a bushy low ponytail.

Ron was rubbing at his chest looking murderous but in complete agreement with Hermione. Harry mirrored their expression while Neville could only shudder at the scary union taking place before him.

"If he thinks he can bully us just cause were kids, he's got another fucking thing coming," Ron growled.

"Harry, ready the cauldron." Hermione ordered before she grabbed Neville's hand and dragged him towards the ingredient cupboard.

All the other students kept a wide berth away from them, probably due to Hermione's intense stomp of determination. Neville just accepted everything she stuffed in his arms before she dragged him back to the worktables. Ron was waiting with the cauldron and all their needed equipment. He took the ingredients from Neville's hold and guided Neville to his side. On the other worktable Hermione and Harry started working in an organised frenzy.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"They're bloody mad," Theodore whispered with unintentional awe seeping into his tone.

Draco hated himself for agreeing, awed and all. Nobody could stop themselves from watching Weasley, the mudblood and Potter as they worked. It was social suicide at its finest as Snape continued to take points away for the smallest of reasons, but there was no stopping the aggressive trio. It didn't matter that Snape hovered closely over both groups, didn't matter that he barked at them at the oddest of times. The three continued to work with focused finesse that was grudgingly impressive. Even Longbottom, who was pissing his pants at this point, was keeping up relatively well with everything thanks to Weasley's deceptively blithe guidance and distraction.

"No wonder the hat put them in Gryffindor," Blaise muttered

Draco clenched his jaw as he finished his and Theo's potion. An easy task for the godson of a Potion's master. It allowed them to watch, without shame, as the mudblood quickly snatched a tipping vial from the edge of the table without looking. The girl was a complete freak, just as Millicent said.

There was a loud explosion from Finnegan and Thomas's section. The Irish half-blood looked utterly shell shocked with soot covering his face, while Thomas hastily extinguished the flames on his robe sleeves.

"Weasley! Why didn't you warn Finnegan not to set his horned slugs too close to the flame before adding it?" Snape accused with a snarl.

Weasley shrugged as if Snape had just asked after the weather. He didn't even bother looking at Longbottom as he stopped the boy from adding the porcupine quills and moved their cauldron off the fire. Draco swore his godfather's cheeks had earned the slightest bit of colour when Weasley did answer.

"Dunno, suppose I wasn't looking,"

Blaise shook his head and voiced what Draco had been thinking.

"Complete and utter suicide. Snape is going to murder them by the end of the year," he predicted.

"End of the year? Try the end of the month!" Theo corrected.

When it came time to hand in their finished potions for assessment, it was a welcomed relief for all the first years. All eyes watched intently as Potter and Longbottom walked to deliver their potion vials. Draco didn't see where the jinx came from, but he knew it couldn't have been any of the snakes. Not when all of them were too weary of gaining any attention from Snape in this mood. Not to mention they'd unanimously agreed to be cautious around the trio after the showdown before the sorting. They'd all seen it in the mud bloods stare, she wouldn't have hesitated to gut Pansy if she were given the chance. Potter and the Weasel probably would've held her down to give the mudblood better access.

They were Slytherins, and snakes knew when to attack and when to stay on guard.

Whoever it was, jinxed Longbottom into stumbling into Potter. Both boys watched with horror as their potion vials smashed on the ground, wasting their hard-worked effort.

"Tut tut- such a waste. I'm afraid without a potion, all four of you will earn a failing grade, a pity," but Snape didn't sound the least bit sorry.

In fact, Draco suddenly suspected his godfather had wordlessly jinxed Longbottom himself.

Draco stared at his godfather having never thought he could be so… petty. He knew he'd hated Gryffindors, had a bad history with a few, but to go so far was astonishing. Draco felt uncomfortable with what he'd witnessed of the man he shared fond memories with. But he ignored it in favour of watching Weasley and Granger suddenly grin.

"It's a bit of luck then, isn't it, Professor. Hermione thought we'd best bottle a few spares just in case," Weasley explained with a good-natured grin.

Draco squirmed in his seat, hating himself for once again feeling awed by the Weasel's daring.

"Fucking suicide!" Theo gaped at his side, uncaring about his Slytherin mask.

Grange- _The_ _mud blood_ , and Weasley walked to the front and presented their bottled potion vials with shit eating grins.

Snape stood stiffly for a moment before he reached for the vials and resolutely said nothing at all. The whole class held their breaths in wait, but the old bat snarled at them all and ordered them out of his class. They scrambled to leave, but Weasley, the mudblood and Potter sauntered out with their heads high looking incredibly pleased.

Draco absolutely hated himself for wanting to chase after them, like the Gryffindors, pestering them on how brilliant they'd been.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

All of Hogwarts bore first-hand witness to the wailing cries of disbelief, anger, and rage from House Gryffindor at dinner. It was expected that there wouldn't be a great amount of House points earned as it was only the first week back. But all of Hogwarts gaped with shock as Gryffindor's house points had sunk into the negatives.

"Merlin's saggy balls! Has this ever happened before! Is it even allowed?" a Hufflepuff exclaimed as they watched a few Gryffindor's actually cry.

"Not even the Weasley twins have ever managed this!" another whispered.

The twins in question looked shell-shocked themselves, but more because someone had beat them at something already. Although, they thought, perhaps it was a good thing they'd never done _this_. Not when it had rallied all of Gryffindor into a frenzy. Many were out for blood, wanting to know just who was to blame.

At the Ravenclaw table, Penelope leaned over as her friend tugged at her robes to whisper in her ear.

"The first years told me they heard from the snakes, it was Potter, his girlfriend and the newest Weasley's fault."

Penelope pulled back with shock.

"Percy's little brother? Really?" she checked.

Her friend nodded her head looking equally disbelieving.

The two looked over at the mentioned Gryffindor first years, but the two boys and their female friend looked unbothered as they ate. A great contrast to their fellow year mates who ate stiffly looking rather terrified of their older housemates.

The Slytherin table were careful to hide their own personal reactions. The older years boisterously mocked and teased the house of Lions, but fifth year below only smirked and laughed in support. None of them offered remarks of their own. Marcus hid his amused smirk behind his goblet, having heard the complete story from his first-year snakes.

"Percy hadn't been kidding," Gemma mumbled as she watched the lions accuse one another, specifically the Weasley twins who were innocent for once.

"And just think… it's only the first week," Terrance added with a disbelieving scoff.

The Slytherin's looked over to the teachers table where McGonagall hadn't stopped death glaring at an incredibly stiff Snape as she ate.

"Well, can't say this year won't be boring," Gemma grinned.

Marcus laughed in agreement, wondering just what else the first-year trio would bring about as the year continued. He glances over to where Malfoy sat with his own huddle of first year snakes who were poorly hiding their staring at the trio.

He wonders what other change they'll inspire among his snakes.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Optional Chapter/ Non-Progressive to Plot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi.
> 
> A bit of a Warning for this chapter, it's not progressive to the plot in the slightest. It's function is to provide a bit of a glimpse into the background happenings beyond Ron, Harry and Hermione's pov. Also a great big insight to House dynamics.
> 
> It Champions Percy's Pov a mighty bit and reveals the political games among the Hogwarts students.
> 
> I worked too hard on this chapter to just not post it and I'm sure there will be more chapters like these in the future. Don't worry I'll always leave a note to give you the option of reading these kind of chapters or not.
> 
> In saying that, do enjoy you're read and I look forward to hearing what you think :)
> 
> [CHAPTER WARNINGS: POLITICAL TALKS]

**Chapter: Behind Gryffindor lines #LionPride.**

The Gryffindor prefects were summoned to meet with their Head of House in her office after lunch. The tension among them incredibly thick as they waited for Professor McGonagall to arrive with more information regarding the situation. Nobody could make sense of the dramatic drop of House points, not when it was only the first week back. This morning their house was sitting at a comfortable 265, two points ahead of Hufflepuff and one below Slytherin with Ravenclaw leading the board. By lunch they'd been reduced to 45 points and forced to watch it slowly decrease into the negatives. Now they were sitting at a -20 on the score board. They'd need at least four Gryffindor students to earn 5 points minimum to get out of the negatives and return to zero, assuming nobody lost points in between.

It was madness, complete and utter madness.

The seventh-year prefects muttered among themselves, debating what crime must have been done to result in such a large deduction of points. The sixth-year prefect's argued over who might've been the cause if the Weasley twins were truly innocent. The fifth years remained silent, sitting in wait for McGonagall's arrival.

"It has to have been a group, no way one student could lose that much on their own," Sarah Marshall decides with a decisive pound of her fist to her hand.

Lewis Bishop shakes his head while his lips purse with thought.

"Jordan and the Weasley twins have had years to cross this line. If they were going to push the boundaries and risk pissing the entire house off, they would've done it as first years," he reasons.

Marsha Wilkins looks over with a disbelieving scoff and shake of her head.

"You think first years could have done this?"

Lewis shrugs and doesn't answer, he doesn't have to, as Sarah snaps her fingers with dawning glee.

"Of course! You're guess is Potter's somehow involved!" she accuses with a smirk, as if delivering a joke.

Lewis shrugs but again doesn't confirm anything.

The tension among them grows when Arnold Daniels turns a considering eye towards a quiet Percy.

"Weasley, isn't your newest brother friends with Potter?"

Despite the posed question, all the prefects hear the hidden demand in his tone. All eyes turn to Percy who straightens in his seat, the shine of his prefect badge catching their eye for a second or two. It distracts them from the cool glare of his stare and the stiffness in his shoulders.

"I can assure you; Ronald is nothing like Fred and George," Percy starts, the warning in his tone clear for all to hear.

Arnold leans back and raises his hands as if he's placating an animal. He knew from personal experience the wrath of a Weasley. The younger boy was bound to grow overly defensive if any of the younger Weasleys were involved. The Weasleys were temperamental creatures, like nesting dragons when it came to their younger siblings. At least, that's how Charlie Weasley had been. Percy was a bit too pompous to liken to a dragon, but Arnold wasn't going to take any chances.

"And I would appreciate it, if you would all stop assuming he shares any blame with the matter solely because he's related to Fred & George. Mind you, the twins also have certifiable alibi's to support their innocence."

Marsha snorts, rolling her eyes, before giving her response.

"Calm down Peacock, no need to ruffle your feathers over a bit of brain storming."

The dislike between Percy and the seventh years could be felt by everyone in the room. Amanda Shrew, the female fifth year prefect, quickly spoke out. She attempted to ease the tension with a soft smile and gentle words.

"Nobody is accusing anyone of anything," she tries.

Sarah blows a raspberry to show her disagreement and wryly points at the two seventh years.

"Uh, yes they were. I just named Potter as a suspect. Its _them_ who tried to blame the baby Weasleys'."

She ignores the glares she gets from the older prefects and addresses the room.

"Either way, can we all just agree that the teacher involved is most definitely Snape? I mean, who else could hate Gryffindor that much," she continues.

All of them jump with surprise when an unexpected voice joins their discussion.

"You would be fairly correct Miss Marshall," McGonagall confirms.

The prefects all stand to attention when she enters. Their Head of House looks significantly calmer compared to her earlier bluster. They can tell she's still incredibly miffed by the tight purse of her lips and dark tint to her stare. But her cheeks have cooled from its heated red, and her accent had softened.

"Headmaster Dumbledore has assured me that a meeting among the Heads of House will be scheduled tonight to discuss the incident. Until then, I'm afraid I have need of your assistance with your fellow Gryffindors. You must monitor and mediate any in house disturbances that may occur, am I understood?"

"Yes Professor," they echoed.

But McGonagall is not finished, and she continues by turning to address Percy directly. The expression she wears is rather unsettling and Percy tries not to show how anxious it makes him feel.

"I am sorry to say that your youngest brother, Mister Weasley, and his friends appear to be the centre focus of the matter. While they are not entirely to blame, they most certainly escalated the situation."

Percy swallows but keeps his expression carefully controlled as all eyes turn to him. He opts to keep silent rather than attempt saying anything, not when he's still unclear on the details of the event. As if reading his thoughts, McGonagall proceeds to inform them of what had been reported to her by several portrait witnesses.

Throughout her spiel, Percy keeps a tight rein on his emotions and tongue, careful not to let his temper show. By the end of her recount, Percy feels dizzy and overwhelmed, still he stubbornly stays on his feet. McGonagall's expression softens into one that exudes comfort and assurance.

"Make no mistake, Mister Weasley, had this not upset House morale and students so greatly, I would praise your brother and his friends for their resilient show of daring in the face of injustice. However, Hogwarts is a school where every student is to be an example for the following generations to come. We Gryffindors might be bold and daring, but we are **NOT** so blatantly disrespectful towards a Professor, which Severus Snape remains to be."

She speaks her last sentence with barely controlled scorn, her temper threatening to surface once more.

"Of course, Professor," Percy agrees with a respectful dip of his head.

It earns him a twitch of amusement, but his unspoken message had been received. Gryffindors' reputation for boisterous adventure and unashamed manner held plenty of truth. But all lions had their pride and knew the benefits of humbling oneself for a greater hunting prize.

They were, after all, considered Kingly beasts among animals.

Royalty.

Contrary to belief, they had standards to maintain.

"I will not be issuing any punishments but a conversation on respecting authority figures may suffice."

"Understood Professor," Percy agrees once again.

McGonagall nods but turns her stare to the rest of the prefects just as stern.

"That goes for all of you as well. Daniels & Wilkins shall talk to the seventh and sixth years. The other years shall be dealt with by the four of you. I trust a certain few will be more willing to better their actions when confronted by a Prefect closer in age or familiarity."

They all knew McGonagall had split the years specifically so Percy could deal with his brothers himself. It was incredibly obvious but entirely for the best as no one wanted to deal with the Weasley twins on a good day, let alone for something like this.

"Tomorrow Morning, I will call for a House meeting and address the situation myself. Until then you are dismissed."

The prefects all give short nods as they pass the Professor. They don't speak as they walk through the corridors towards the Great Hall for dinner.

"It's going to be one hell of a shitstorm," Sarah mutters as they near the closed doors.

She's not wrong.

The minute they open the doors their greeted with more than a few outraged cries from their house table. Students are pointing fingers, most directed towards the Weasley twins, with bloodthirst evident in their eyes.

"Bishop, Marshall and Shrew top third of the tables. Marsha and I will take care of the latter end. Weasley…. The rest are yours," Arnold instructs.

Percy doesn't hesitate to march his way over to where Fred & George repeatedly declare their innocence. He interrupts the red faced sixth year girl pointing at the twins with a few seventh years rallying behind her.

"You **will** return to your seats in a civilised matter or I will be forced to send you to Professor McGonagall's office," He interrupts.

The girl, so passionate with her rage glares at Percy with little care.

"So, you can help those two trouble stirring shits go without punishment as usual? Not this time Weasley, they've taken it too far," she growled.

Percy stood firm in his stance, the shine of his badge bright and his stare cold.

"Though it may have escaped your notice, but as a prefect, I am well within my rights to deduct points should I deem it necessary."

The girls eyes widened and those closest had gone silent having heard his threat. Fred & George kept tight grips on their wands as did their friends, waiting to see the girl's response.

"Deduct points! You'd- Are you fucking blind? We're in the NEGATIVES!" she exclaimed.

The noise level was starting to calm into something more manageable as the other prefects quietened their assigned sections. Percy arches his brow, looking unaffected by her outburst, before speaking in a steady tone.

"And should you continue your unfounded accusations, I am willing to grant you the blame for sinking it further."

The girl falls speechless with disbelief as they all hear the promised threat in his tone. They also know that Percy Weasley is entirely capable of keeping his promises. She clenches her jaw and furiously stomps over to where the seventh-year prefects have sat down to eat. Arnold gives Percy a nod as Marsha quickly deals with the girl's ranting complaints about Percy.

Percy looks to the third years and gives a pleasant smile, aware of the incredibly quiet first years nearby.

"There will be a house meeting tomorrow morning. However, tonight, Years four and under will meet with their assigned prefects for an important discussion regarding the circumstances of today's events."

Percy waits until those in his section nod to show they heard before he takes his seat and begins to dish his plate. The Great Hall had finally settled into a dull buzz of conversation, but Gryffindor's table still exuded angry tension. When dinner finally comes to an end, all of Gryffindor house rise and march towards their tower.

At the back of the crowd, trooping along with nervous fidgeting, were the first year Gryffindors. Percy's rather ominous announcement had Harry and Neville sweating buckets and turning pale. Hermione's hair had frizzed wildly around her face, her knuckles clenched tightly, hidden in her robe pockets. Ron, for the most part looked unbothered, but his hands were clammy, and his ears were a hot red. Seamus couldn't keep still, acting like a hyped-up squirrel on caffeine. Lavender was tugging at the ends of her pigtails and ignoring the ache of her scalp. Parvati's lower lip wouldn't stop quivering and Dean walked as if he were heading to his execution.

The poor first years trudged along with heavy clouds of doom over their heads.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Lewis, Sarah, and Amanda lingered behind Percy as he faced the large crowd of Gryffindors. Arnold and Marsha had already booked out a room for the older years to meet, leaving the common room for the rest of them. Usually, a crowd of twenty Gryffindors probably would've been too much to handle for four prefects.

But before the newly sorted first years joined; Percy had fostered himself a reputation among the others.

They knew better than to oppose him, and not even the twins would challenge him here if they wanted. At Hogwarts, shiny badges _meant_ something, and Percy had worked hard to earn it.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, an incident took place today resulting in a large decrease in House points, placing Gryffindor within the negatives."

Percy had barely even started his speech but already a few of the first years had ducked their heads tellingly.

"We've been informed of the events and have been assured by Professor McGonagall that the matter will be discussed with Headmaster Dumbledore tonight."

Sarah subtly nudged Lewis, discreetly pointing over to where Harry Potter squirmed. Again, Lewis didn't show her any form of agreement, but she knew it was only a matter of time before Potter cracked. The third years, who'd been with Fred & George the entire day, slowly realized Percy's speech was rather pointed. Though he didn't linger too long on anyone he sent a lecturing gaze towards, every one of them heard the scolding in his tone.

"Here at Hogwarts, we understand the concept of respect and propriety towards Professors. We are a school of unanimity and modesty."

If there's one thing Lewis had to praise Percy for, it was his talent for speeches. Some days, he thought the younger boy did a rather superb job at imitating McGonagall's stern drawl and expectant stare. Although, he could do without the occasional haughty hint in his tone that verged towards condescending.

Not for the first time, Lewis thought Percy would have made a great Slytherin.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Fred & George are slow to catch on, but they do eventually. They never could tell the difference between Percy's tempers, whether he was _truly_ apocalyptic or simmering, because they built up an immunity to it. But here at Hogwarts, Percy had power and responsibility attached to his name. He was a Gryffindor prefect and all the Weasley children knew he was aiming for Head boy.

If Percy couldn't even control himself, his own siblings; if he couldn't show they respected his position, why would the rest of Gryffindor listen?

The tension proves too much for the poor first years. When Percy's reprimanding speech comes to an end, one of the brave firsties speaks up with a shaky tremble.

Lavender practically word vomits her version of the Potions showdown for everyone to hear. In between her babbling, Parvati, and Seamus jump in too, fighting over one another to be heard. They describe the terror they felt, the horror like nightmare of Snape's quizzing. Neville, through a series of stutters, describes his clumsy antics due to Snape's hovering, with apologies in between breaths. It's not until Dean mentions the questions Snape asked that one of the female prefects interrupts.

"He asked what?"

"He asked Potter to name some potion!" Dean repeats.

"The exact question, please" the same prefect corrects with a roll of her eyes .

Hermione, who'd been awfully quiet, answers instead. The tilt of her head projecting her unrepentant defiance all the while. In the face of their gathered Gryffindor peers, the first years show a united front. After Hermione's recited all three questions, the other fifth year prefect gives a soft gasp of realization while the two sixth year prefects grin widely.

"Those aren't covered in first year and wouldn't be in their assigned textbooks anyway."

The sixth-year boy gives a slow nod of glee.

"Snape purposely set Potter up to fail, proving he was the instigator. Potter's eleven, at that age an attitude is expected, not to mention being the Boy-who-lived. Snape even made a point about special treatment, his whole vendetta towards Potter proves him a hypocrite. Weasley and Granger getting involved only added fuel to his petty tyranny, elevating the situation to what it is."

"So… it's Granger and Weasley's fault?" a second year cautiously asked.

The fifth-year female prefect turns towards her in an instant with a stern shake of her head.

"Of course not, their children being bullied by a grown man! Their tantrums should have been expected."

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Percy is focusing on his breathing, taking slow deep breaths, and quietly exhaling, as the room erupts into debate. Half the room is calling for Ron, Harry, and Hermione to shoulder the blame and face a punishment decided by the rest of the House. The other half, one led by the twins, their friends and the first years, argue all the blame should stay on Snape. That the trio were defending themselves and Neville from bullying.

Percy refrains from reaching for his wand, knowing if it were in his hand it'd be letting off sparks. He feels a jolt to his side and finds Oliver looking him over with concern.

"You're good, Perce?"

Sarah, Lewis, and Amanda are watching him carefully, as if he's seconds from exploding. He knows without looking that Ron is doing the same from where he stands with his friends. This was not what Percy was expecting for his first year as prefect. But the situation is what it is, and he'll be damned if it costs him Head boy.

Percy gives a firm nod and claps his hands in a sequence to regain order of the room. It works like a charm and he imposes on the crowd the sternest glare he could manage.

"Who is at fault was not the purpose of tonight's gathering. Evidently, from your flagrant division you _all_ lack a sense of respect, especially towards your fellow peers."

A few students look cowed by his words, but Percy doesn't want them to show shame.

He wants them to _learn_ and do better.

He wants them to _be_ Gryffindors.

Percy takes another deep breath and begins another speech, one he knows by heart and perfected with time.

"Gryffindors are brave, bold & just. They unite in the face of terror and prevail above adversity. Above all else we defend our own…"

Percy is unaware of how his fellow Prefects stand behind him as he speaks. He misses the way Oliver's eyes marvel with impassioned awe. The gleam that usually appears when the boy is obsessing over anything Quidditch. Percy stands before his fellow lions with his head high and his shoulders set. It's a posture Bill would have praised, and Charlie would applaud. He presents himself, with his gleaming prefect badge and neatly ordered robes, creating an image Fred & George share a smirk over.

Percy notices none of this as he is too busy staring down at the first years, imploring them to understand what it means to be a Lion.

No one could ever dare accuse Percy Weasley of lacking house pride.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Hermione wasn't ashamed or sorry for her involvement in the situation. She'd met her fair share of adults who thought they knew better just because they were older. Adults who heard the words 'child genius' and thought 'smart baby'. She's faced Adults who thought they could break her with words dripping with jealously, aggression, and patronizing malice. She was an individual who valued truth and fact, and she wore her honesty like a badge of honour.

Honour meant transparency, it amassed respect.

Hermione Granger is well versed in reading between the lines. She hears what the prefect doesn't say. Can identify the promise laced between his words and sentences. Percy Weasley stands before them and preaches the importance of truth and fact. He talks of battle honour and when to respect your foe. How they should acknowledge when they are faced with an enemy greater than them, but never cower.

There is no shame in ordering retreat as victory can be won in other ways.

"Godric Gryffindor may have lost many battles in his time, but it is his victorious glory in war that is remembered. We are his legacy, Brave, Bold, and Just under the banner of his name. This you must never forget," Percy implores with his head high and his stare imperial.

To quote Emily Brontë, 'Honest people don't hide their deeds,' which is the core of Percy's campaign.

Hermione smiles and stands tall as Percy Weasley reminds them of the pride of a Lion.

The scar on her neck tingles but Hermione is too consumed by the roaring in her chest to feel it.

She knows without looking that her fellow year mates are experiencing the same sensation at her side.

It's here the first years have their first taste of what it means to be a Gryffindor.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Fred & George are red in the face, biting their tongues to swallow the laugh that wishes to bubble pass their lips. Around them, their fellow housemates wear fond expressions that are still grudgingly awed by Percy's speech even now. They almost lose it when they spy Ron hiding his embarrassed flush with his hands as the rest of the ickle firsties stare at Percy like he's Godric himself. Even Potter and Granger are susceptible to his speech.

"Every bloody year," George snickers into his fist.

"Shut up Weasley, as if you weren't moved by it in your first year as well," Alicia whispered sharply.

"Moved by it? Try sick of it! We live with him, watch him practice it over and over in the mirror every year. Even Charlie who wrote the bloody thing got sick of it in the end." Fred responded.

Charlie intended for it to be a prank, convincing eleven-year-old Percy that every Gryffindor had to recite the speech to prove they understood what it meant to be a Gryffindor. Bill decided to join in on the fun and used his Prefect power to summon enough of a crowd to witness it. However, they severely underestimated the serious passion Percy would give the speech to validate his sorting. Bill and Charlie had been left dumbstruck as eleven-year-old Percy managed to rally the entire Gryffindor house into a roar of approval.

They eventually confessed to the prank, but Percy had seen it as an opportunity to start crafting his image as a prefect candidate. It was also how he gained Oliver's attention and persistent offer of friendship. Since then, Percy's managed to find a single opportunity to recite the bloody thing for every newly sorted Gryffindor. Five years of this speech, yet he still manages to wow his audience and rally up a roar.

The only first year who doesn't join is their unimpressed little Ronnie, who folds his arms and watches his friends go wild.

"Are you sure your brother's not planning on taking over the world or something?" Angelina jokes.

"Percy likes to be organized, not a lot of that when you got too much power on your hands. He's aiming a bit smaller to start off," Fred easily explains with a smirk.

Those around them laugh uneasily as they can't tell if he's joking. The prefects eventually finish their 'lecture' about respecting authority figures and allow them all to scatter. But before they could scuttle off, Percy grabs Potter, Granger and Longbottom by the cuffs of their robes. Ron, already anticipating this, slumped with a grimace as he trudged to join his group of friends.

"I've a few words to have with you lot," Percy claims.

Fred & George wince when Percy catches their eye and motions towards the fifth-year boy's dorm. They sigh but obediently stand to their feet.

"Are you coming with Lee?" they ask, but the dreadlocked boy shakes his head.

"Someone's gotta keep an ear out for when the sixth and seventh-years return. Knowing Daniels and Wilkins, their meeting probably turned into another protest gathering about you Weasleys."

Fred & George sneered showing exactly how they felt about the two prefects.

"Fredrick," Percy called, timely interrupting whatever the boy was about to say.

George quickly pushed his twin forward and they scampered up the stairs unwillingly to test their brother any further.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Harry was buzzing with euphoria and awe, having never felt so included in something before. No wonder Ron was so cool and collected during Potions. He must have learnt how to stand up for himself from Percy. Harry now felt justified for asking the hat to place him in Gryffindor. He couldn't imagine being in any other house. He looked to Hermione who was smiling like a cat who caught the cream. Even Neville was walking with his shoulders a little looser and his head high.

But Harry's joy dwindles a little once he looks at Ron. Unlike them, Ron is looking resigned and knowing as he watches Percy's back. Even the Weasley twins look like their anticipating something from the prefect. Percy leads them into the fifth-year boys dorm, and Oliver waits till they're all inside before he locks the door.

Percy turns to them with a disappointed shake of his head.

"Take a seat Longbottom, I'll speak with you last. As for the three of you…"

Harry watches as Neville warily wanders over to where Oliver is lounging on his bed. The Quidditch captain looks friendly as he tugs Neville to sit beside him. The Weasley twins had ambled over to Percy's bed, looking just as resigned as Ron. Harry looks to Hermione who shares his confusion.

"Just what were you thinking? Of all the teachers to provoke, you chose Snape?" Percy scolds.

"What?" Harry blurts unable to stop himself from voicing his confusion.

"I thought we weren't in trouble!"

Percy shakes his head looking incredibly ruffled compared to his early display in the common room.

"McGonagall has decided not to, as you were well within your rights to defend yourselves, but actions have consequences Potter. Snape will be forced to pay his dues once McGonagall is through with him," Percy explains.

Behind him the Weasley twins let out an impressed whistle.

"If McGonagall's out for blood, what are the chances Snape finally gets the sack?" George ponders.

"Nah, Dumbledore won't go for it. I mean, he's been a prick since he's started, why fire him now? He's done worse," Fred counters.

"But never has it ever affected a House to this great a scale," Percy corrects.

Harry blinks feeling incredibly blindsided by what was happening. He looked to Hermione, but she was starting to look like she agreed with what was being said. Harry, frustrated with his own inability to understand, then turned to Ron. Ron sighs and uncrossed his arms before softly explaining.

"We were still out of line, Harry. Sure, Snape started it but if we just let it be, we wouldn't have lost so many points and cost Gryffindor the cup. The other students have a right to be upset as some of them worked hard to get those points."

Percy had nodded along with Ron's explanation before he turned a glare on the sheepish twins.

"And don't think for a second the two of you are out of the clear. Twenty-five of the points lost today had been because of the prank _you_ set up for Filch!"

"It wasn't meant for him!" The twins defended but Percy scowled at them.

"We didn't even get to finish it! It was supposed to go off next week," Fred grumbled.

Percy could hear Oliver snickering from his side of the room and did his best to ignore it. The twins were organized with their mischief. They never tried anything big during the first week back. They always waited until Gryffindor was at least in the four hundreds before they started risking points. Their twenty-five points wouldn't have been a problem if the trio hadn't lost a total of 200 between the three of them.

Before Percy and the twins could bicker any further, Ron let out a heavy sigh gaining their attention.

"Get on with it, Perce, what's it gonna be?"

Harry swallowed, nervous at what the older boy might say. He looked over to Hermione who stood like a soldier about to be sent to the trenches. He envied her easy stance and steeled nerve. Would Percy send them to Dumbledore? Were they about to get expelled? Of course, Ron wouldn't be in trouble as he'd just been defending Harry. Neville too, as he'd known to keep his mouth shut. Hermione's parents probably won't care, Harry still remembered how they fussed over her at the station. But Harry didn't have parents, he had the Dursley's. He could already picture his Uncle's red walrus face full of rage.

Percy thought for a second or two before nodding his head decisively.

"The three of you will be grounded for a week."

"What does that mean?" Harry fretted.

He's heard of the term but never seen it put in place. Dudley never got grounded and Harry only knew about extra chores as punishment. He vaguely remembered Piers getting grounded once. The bully claimed his dad had locked him in the cellar after 50 whacks to his backside. If so, Harry thought he could handle getting locked away for a week. Afterall, he used to sleep in a cupboard when he was younger.

Percy eyed the three of them sternly before elaborating.

"Starting Monday, the three of you will join myself and a few other students for study after dinner. You'll be timely when it comes to curfew and will check in with either Oliver or myself at lunch time."

"That's it?" Harry blurts, surprised it wasn't anything like he imagined.

"Ow! Hermione" he yelped as Hermione elbowed him with a glare.

"Are you trying to get him to add more?" she hissed while the twins laughed.

Percy ignored the laughter and cleared his throat demandingly.

"Am I understood?"

Ron took initiative to respond, giving both Hermione and Harry a warning glance to pay attention.

"Yes Percy," they echoed with agreeable nods.

Satisfied, Percy then turned his attention to the twins.

"As for you two…"

"What? Gonna ground us too?" Fred provoked.

"Keep us in line with a guard on our tail?" George added

Percy pointed a warning finger their way, accomplishing an exceptionally good imitation of his mother.

"Not another toe out of lie, and no pranks for a month."

The twins sucked in a sharp gasp before they lunged to their feet in protest.

"A MONTH! Why a month?"

As Percy dealt with the twins, the trio conversed among themselves. Ron looked rather relieved while Hermione appeared thoughtful. Harry was still feeling rather bewildered.

"Is this usually what happens when you get grounded?" Harry asked.

"I wouldn't know. I've never done anything big enough to get grounded back at home," Hermione shrugged.

Ron stared at them, astonished by how fascinated Hermione sounded and Harry's confusion. Just what kind of life had the two been living before Hogwarts? Molly Weasley grounded at least one of her children every month, extending it if she felt they'd not learnt their lesson. The twins, Charlie and Ginny were very experienced survivors of her groundings. Ron rarely ever fell victim to it and Percy had only gone under it once and never again. Bill never got grounded by mum, only twice by their dad.

"Bloody hell, you're not supposed to sound so mesmerized by it!" He exclaimed with a shake of his head.

"I know, I just… I thought we'd have to do chores or get locked away for a bit," Harry admitted with a squirm.

Now even Hermione was staring at Harry with disbelief.

"We talked back to a _teacher_ Harry, not _murdered_ someone. We're grounded, not being sentenced to life behind bars," Hermione scoffed.

Harry turned red with embarrassment as Ron gaped at him.

"No seriously, what kind of life have you been living?" the red head blurted.

Harry expertly changed the subject by provoking Hermione into an irritated rant about what justifies sending children to prison. Distracting Ron and Harry as they wondered why on earth, she'd even know about such a topic. Harry's homelife, for the moment, went forgotten. But just like Neville's accidental slip about his Uncle Algie, Hermione and Ron made a mental note to keep a close ear out.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"Keeping alright, mate?" Oliver checked with a grin.

Neville nodded but by the way he kept worrying at his sleeves, it was clearly a lie. Oliver carefully hid his concern for the younger boy as Percy's theory proved correct. It never sat well with him to see sensitive kids trying to keep it together when they're obviously unsettled. Neville, from what he'd seen so far, was a great kid despite being rather timid. Snape was a right tit for purposely pressuring the poor lad.

"Now, the five you are you excused, but if I hear any more complaints or whisper of trouble involving the five of you, I'll be writing Bill and leaving you to McGonagall's mercy," Percy warned.

The Weasley boys cringed at the mention of their older brother while Hermione and Harry nodded feeling properly chastised.

"Now, out you go," Percy ushered.

Oliver saw how Neville's shoulders hunched higher and his fingers clenched round his sleeves. He ensured the timid boy was aware of his intentions before he patted the boys shoulder in comfort. Neville didn't flinch at his touch, nor did he shy away, which eased Oliver's suspicions about physical abuse.

"Wait! What about Neville?" they heard Harry protest as the twins ushered the trio out.

"He's fine, Percy's just wanting a bit of a chat," George assured.

Oliver saw Ron and Hermione whisper something to Harry which had him calm down.

"We'll wait for you outside, okay Neville?" Ron assured.

The round boy gave another small nod but seemed a little more relaxed when all three first years sent a smile his way. At least until the twins shut the door behind them with a tight slam that ominously echoed. Oliver groaned as Percy bristled with irritation.

"Bloody terrors," the prefect muttered.

"It's how they show they care," Oliver sarcastically drawled as Percy scoffed.

The two fifth years knew the following conversation would need delicate treatment. Percy and Oliver kept an easy banter going, hoping the first year would relax a bit more before they broached the topic. Neville surprised them both by speaking first with an earnest shout.

"I'm sorry!"

"Sorry? What for? You did nothing wrong," Oliver said with an exaggerated splutter.

Percy rolled his eyes, let it be said that Oliver had no future in theatre. Ignoring his ridiculous friend, Percy sat on Neville's other side, keeping his voice soft and sincere.

"Calm down Neville, no need to panic. I'm not going to ground you or anything similar."

Neville turned his wide-eyed stare towards Percy, exposing the quiver of his lip.

"I just wanted to check you were feeling better after today's excitement. I know very well how intimidating Professor Snape's hovering can be."

Oliver feels his hatred for Snape increase a little more at seeing the desperation in Neville's eyes when he looks at Percy.

"Y-You do?" Neville mumbles.

Percy hums before he shares the story of his own first day of Potions. Oliver quips in his own memory of the day every once and awhile. They then branch out and talk about other times they'd felt completely overwhelmed and intimidated by something or the other. They talk until Neville finally relaxes completely. Oliver softly smiles as he watches Percy earnestly tell Neville about his first-year jitters beyond potions. He couldn't deny the pride he had for his best friend. Not when he still remembered eleven-year-old Percy surrounded by towers of book stacks studying late into the night long after curfew. Soon enough, Oliver joined him, using those late nights to study and create his own quidditch plays.

"My dad wouldn't have feared Snape. He would have been able to raise his hand for a question," Neville quietly admitted.

Oliver feels his heart melt when Percy nods, not in agreement, never in agreement, but in consideration. It's no secret, to those old enough to look further into it, about what happened to the Longbottom's during the war.

"Maybe not, but you are not you're father."

Neville looks up at that, revealing the teary shine to his eyes.

"You're Neville Longbottom and this is your time at Hogwarts, not his. I want you to think extremely hard about this Neville, but when it's time to leave Hogwarts behind how do you want to be remembered? Who do you want to be?" Percy prompts.

Neville's swallows and the tears in his eyes bubble over, Oliver grins as the younger boy croaks his answer.

"Me, just me. I want to be remembered as me. I-I want to be brave enough to be… me."

Percy smiles, the soft kind Oliver's only ever seen directed towards his younger brothers' in private. He then offers out a hand and nods with complete confidence.

"Then I look forward to seeing who you become. You're a Gryffindor now Neville and in Gryffindor we have the roar of a lion in our hearts."

The line is ridiculous, but what sets Oliver off into a laughing fit is Percy's complete and utter shock when Neville ignores his hand and hugs him instead. Percy glares at him over Neville's sobbing head, but Oliver can't stop.

"Will you put a cork in it, Oliver," Percy hissed.

"Never!" Oliver mocks while laughing harder.

Not when Percy is incredibly careful to ensure Neville is comfortable in his hold. Not when he once again proves to be the complete mother hen, Oliver knew him to be.

"Just another chick in the pen, right Percy?" Oliver teased when Neville finally feels collected enough to leave.

"Oh, shut up."

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

When Neville opens the door, Hermione and Harry are the first to crowd him. Their bickering completely forgotten at seeing clear evidence of Neville's tears.

"What happened, Neville?" Hermione pesters.

"Did you get grounded too?" Harry questions.

Neville quickly assures them he's fine while wiping his face. He ignores their doubtful expressions in favour of looking to Ron. Ron is watching Neville with a confused frown, scanning the boy, and wondering what the bloody hell Percy talked to him about.

"You alright, Nev?" the red head asked.

Neville nods with a beautifully wide smile, so bright it momentarily renders the trio silent.

"Yeah, yeah, fantastic actually. Percy… he's… a good bloke, you know."

The trio share bewildered looks with one another, before looking back at Neville.

"Um…" Harry hums

"…Of course," Hermione adds

"Definitely," Ron confirms with a solemn nod of his head.

Neville gifts them with another wide smile, and they're staggered by how it changes him completely. He then looks at Ron with an expression that almost looks like a jealous pout. Harry and Hermione blink as the two boys exchange a wordless understanding, they're not privy to.

"You're lucky, you know," Neville huffs.

Ron snorts but his lips turn up into a grinning smirk.

"Yeah, I know."

Neville then says he'll see them in the common room and pushes pass them. Ron chuckles and shakes his head as if Neville just told a funny joke. He stops when he realizes Hermione and Harry are staring at him with varying expressions. Hermione looks incredibly impatient while Harry is practically vibrating in place.

"What?" Ron grumbles.

"What? What do you mean 'what'? What was that?" Harry gapes.

Ron shushes Harry and quickly motions for them to follow him. He leads them to the first-year dorms for the boys. Hermione scrunches her nose with disgust at its messy state, specifically towards Seamus's bed full of junk.

"How on- It's only been a week!" she mutters with disbelief.

Ron gives a careless shrug as Harry grins sheepishly.

"We're boys," the red head declares as if it excuses everything.

From the considerate hum Hermione gives in return, maybe it does.

"Okay, but why are we in here? Why couldn't we just go back into the common room?" Harry starts looking rather frustrated.

Why is it he always needs to wait to get answers to his questions?

Ron sighs again before falling back onto his bed. Hermione opts to lean against his bed post while Harry settles on his own bed.

"We're grounded remember, and curfew's coming up soon. Figured I'll just save myself some time and get in early."

"Percy said it didn't start till Monday," Harry protested.

"Yes, but if we want to finish it early and get off thanks to good behaviour, we should start now," Ron said with a roll of his eyes.

"Now it really does sound like jail. Omph!"

Ron snorted as Harry toppled back from getting slapped in the face by his pillow. The green-eyed boy huffed with a glare and wore a put-out pout.

"Pfft, Drama queen," Ron muttered.

"You sound rather experienced. Do you get grounded a lot?" Hermione questioned, ignoring Harry's offended puff at being called dramatic.

Ron shrugged and reached for the chocolate frogs he won off Seamus during a late-night game of exploding snap.

"Not really, but if you do the crime you should do the time. At least that's what Percy likes to say. Its not all bad anyway. We just gotta do a bit more study, say hi to him and Oliver at lunch and get to bed on time. Could have been worse, you know? Mum would have had us working like house elves in the green houses and serving detention for two weeks with McGonagall or something. She's a firm believer in having the crime fit the punishment, but if she can get a bit of free labour out of it, why not?"

Hermione hummed thoughtfully before muttering "I suppose that's fair."

"But then what about Neville? What'd he do to make him cry?" Harry pushed unable to ignore his curiosity.

Ron shrugged again with half a chocolate frog hanging out of his mouth.

"Dunno, probably just talked to him. Oh, come on, you saw how he was tonight with his speeches? Percy's got a real gift with words. He can talk you to tears, bore you to tears, whatever works. Hell, he can even put you to sleep if you let him chatter long enough," Ron jokes causing Harry to laugh.

Hermione sighs and shakes her head at their boyish manner before pushing away from the post and giving a short wave.

"Well then, I'll see you in the morning. I might as well continue reading my copy of 'Advanced Potion Making' before bed."

Ron froze mid-chew while Harry tilted his head in confusion.

"What book is that? I only have 'One thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi'. That wasn't on the textbook list, was it?" he says.

Harry suddenly thought he'd maybe forgotten to buy a textbook, which is why he couldn't answer Snape's questions. Ron swallows the rest of his chocolate frog and stares at Hermione like she's just announced she had an elephants' nose or something.

"That's because it's a N.E.W.T level textbook full of advanced stuff, hence the bloody title. Blimey Hermione, why'd you buy that already? We wouldn't need to even look at it until seventh year!"

Hermione huffs before straightening her robes and looking down at the two boys.

"Obviously because I finished our first-year textbook and sought further resources. I wasn't going to let something ridiculous like an age restriction keep me from learning more about something I found interesting. So long as I don't attempt any practical recreations, exploring the theoretical concepts are completely acceptable."

Harry and Ron are still blinking at her, stunned silent. The bushy haired girl scoffs, her eyes suddenly darkening while her hair frizzed a little at the ends.

"Now I'm glad I had the foresight to skim through it the night before. If I hadn't Snape's silly quiz would have given me a challenge. Since I don't plan on ever getting less than an 'O' in every Potions' class we have till we graduate, I'm gonna use every advantage I can think of. So, if you may excuse me." she finishes with an intimidating nod of her head before striding out the door.

Ron lets a huff of utter bewilderment escape before looking to Harry.

"There is definitely something not right about her," he declares causing Harry to nod in complete agreement.

Ron begins to open another pack of chocolate frogs when Harry tiredly sighs.

"We're going to have to read it too, aren't we?"

"Yep."

Harry flops back onto his bed with a groan while Ron nods sympathetically from his.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Oliver looks up from his Quidditch mag and sees Percy straightening his robes, looking ready to leave.

"And just where do you think you're going? You don't have patrol tonight," he asks, turning on his side with a quirked brow.

Percy polishes his badge before clipping it on and distractedly gives an answer.

"Amanda agreed to swap with me. She was partnered with Gemma tonight and I need to have a word with her."

Oliver sighs and slowly shakes his head.

"Haven't you done enough today?"

Percy turns to Oliver, the expression he wears is distant and aloof. It's enough to have Oliver sitting up in his bed on high alert. Shit, he'd underestimated just how pissed Percy was about Snape picking on little Ronnie and his new friends.

"With the amount of responsibilities, I have. It's never enough. Now if you'd excuse me, I'll try to be quiet when I return. Don't try staying up too late just because I'm not here."

The prefect gives a stern nod, before turning on his heel and leaving. Oliver sighs, staring at the closed door with an exhausted frown.

"Sometimes, I really wish he took his own advice," he then flopped back onto his bed and returned to his reading.

But his mind never stopped worrying about his Prefect best friend, who tended to forget he didn't need to be perfect.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

"Oh, he's really done it now, hasn't he?" Pomona Sprout muttered in the ear of her co-worker.

Filius Flitwick sighed and gave an exasperated grimace in agreement. They'd been stuck in Dumbledore's office for over an hour now. What had started as an incredibly frosty discussion had quickly dissolved into a heated argument between two stubborn forces. Minerva McGonagall would not back down this time no matter how often Albus Dumbledore attempted intervened. In contrast, Severus Snape refused to admit to his folly and own up to his mistreatment.

The two had always had a simmering undercurrent of tension between them since Snape's employment. As was the case for every Slytherin and Gryffindor alumni. Some rivalries never ended once you graduate, and some actions never forgotten. While Minerva had never outwardly spoken against Albus' decision to grant Snape employment, her disagreement was felt. She didn't trust the boy and Sprout supposed she could understand why. It was rather hard to trust a man from the enemy's side of war after losing so many precious souls dear to your heart.

The Marauders and Lily Evans had been her cubs, her precious lion cubs.

Gryffindor had lost the most in the war, and Minerva wore that heartache on her sleeves, obvious for anyone who knew where to look. Snape's presence was like taunting a kitten with string, and the foolish boy used it to his advantage at times. Specifically, times such as this.

"The boy is an arrogant pretentious little chit just like his father, with no respect for anyone beyond his own image," Snape finally snarled.

"Tut tut, what a silly boy," Flitwick mumbled with a shake of his head.

Sprout hummed in agreement and they both settled back to watch McGonagall let loose. Dumbledore himself leaned back into his chair, knowing better than to attempt to calm the lioness after such a comment.

"That boy is an eleven-year old student in this school. A school you swore to serve and honour. Don't dare stand across from me and sprout words such as respect when it is clear you've no idea of it's definition. Harry Potter might be a boy in your eyes, but frankly from what I heard, he proved he was more of a man than you, who would dare bully a child!" she scathingly accused, through her thick Scottish accent.

Snape's face turned a furious red, but McGonagall's entire manner remained regal. If not for her accent and the raging bright fury in her eyes, one wouldn't even notice the magnitude of her anger.

"As I expected, it's evident to me that the favouritism afforded to the father now continues in the son," Snape sneered.

Sprout and Flitwick let out sharp gasps at Snape's audacity and not even Dumbledore could hide his disappointment. McGonagall had not outwardly reacted but the air around her bristled with magic, making the hair on everyone's arm stand on end.

"James Potter will always be a far greater man than you could ever hope to be. Make no mistake, Severus, if not for Albus' constant defence of your importance and competent talent in potions, I would see you unemployed. Far away from the children in this castle in need of sheltering from your bitter regrets and shameful outbursts."

McGonagall ensures she's staring Snape dead in the eye when she spoke her final lines.

"Lily herself would have condemned you to the deepest pits of hell for your actions today. Never forget that Harry Potter is the progeny of two great lions," she scorns.

The silent 'and she didn't pick you' was heard by everyone.

Snape stumbled back, as if having suffered a great blow to his chest. He had paled at her words while his eyes exposed the depths of his heartbreak. For a moment, the professors were reminded that the Potions master was years younger than all of them. But McGonagall felt no sympathy for the man, for he was no longer a child and should know better than to act like one.

"That is enough, Minerva. I think you have said all that was needed to be said," Dumbledore softly declared.

McGonagall turned her scorned stare towards him but didn't say anything further. Not when his blue-eyed stare lacked its usual twinkle. For all Dumbledore liked to portray a humble old wizard full of quirks, McGonagall never forgot the man was a Lion alumni as well.

"It is clear to me that today's incident was the consequence of tempers meeting unfavourably. In saying so, I believe I've decided an appropriate resolution to the mishap."

All four professor's looked to the Headmaster expectantly.

"Until he proves otherwise capable of separating his own bias from his actions, Professor Snape will no longer be allowed to deduct points from any student attending Hogwarts. Effective immediately, he will also be scheduled to attend several counselling sessions with myself to discuss his obvious trauma and inner conflict from past distress experienced as a student."

Both Snape and McGonagall looked as if they had objections to his decision, but Dumbledore silenced them with a stern stare.

"In addition, Professor McGonagall will not be allowed to award any points to Gryffindor House until the year end."

McGonagall looked rightly insulted, but Snape looked appeased. She nearly let loose another furious protest towards the Headmaster but tempered herself by remembering the needs of her cubs. Flitwick and Sprout shared an uneasy glance as they realized what this would mean for them. With Snape no longer allowed to deduct points and McGonagall unable to award Gryffindor points, the two would undoubtedly be targeted by the lions for point awards until they make up the difference on the score board.

Another glance at McGonagall had both Flitwick and Sprout inwardly groaning as it was clear the Lioness intended to win the House cup to spite the Snake. Dumbledore turned a genial smile towards them, the twinkle returning to his blue-eyes.

"Professors' Flitwick & Sprout, might you have anything you'd like to add?" he prompted.

"I only hope you intend to personally inform the rest of the staff yourself," Flitwick dryly answered.

"You're a cruel man, Albus. I can only imagine the chaos my badgers are going to rally in support of the lions," Sprout sighed.

"It'll be nothing compared to my Ravens once they realize the effect it'll have on them. Gryffindor has quite a number of minds that would've put several of my Ravens to shame if they endeavoured to try," Flitwick snorted.

"Excellent," Dumbledore cheerfully piped.

"That concludes this meeting, may you enjoy the rest of your evening. Severus and I will be starting our first session tonight."

The Professors' nod and stand to leave, but McGonagall and Snape stand across from one another for a few extra seconds. The tension between them blistering like a bubbling cauldron threatening to explode.

"You can be assured, Severus, that unlike yourself, my lions know better than to lay the blame of one man's idiocy at the feet of those in his charge. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

With that said, McGonagall sauntered out of the room with the style of a Queen. She left in her wake a stiff faced snake and a weary old Lion. Dumbledore didn't say a word until the others well and truly left. Only then did he sigh heavily and shake his head at the boy across from him, the disappointment on his face evident for all to see.

"Oh Severus, what am I going to do with you?" he sighed.

Snape did not answer.

He slumped in his chair, folding over like soggy parchment with the beginning of bitter regret seeping into his eyes.

But there was no taking back what had already been done.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Percy had turned the corner and frowned at the empty corridor. Gemma was supposed to be meeting Amanda here and with his last-minute offer to swap, he was already late. She should have been waiting, but the corridor appeared suspiciously empty. He walked the corridor twice, using the time to contemplate tomorrow's needs, only to startle when hands clapped him on the shoulders from behind. Percy had his wand in hand within seconds and twisted out of his assaulter's grip using a move Bill taught him. He managed to flip the situation to his advantage, exhaling once he realized their identity.

Gemma grinned up at him with all the charm of a snake, the mischief in her eyes evident.

"I really don't understand why Hogwarts' keeps calling you a quivering bottom. From here, you feel more like a stiff top," she cheekily teases.

Percy rolled his eyes, relaxing his hold and letting her slip free. The Slytherin prefect winked at him suggestively as she slid her wand back into her holster. He made a show of straightening his robes and flashing his prefect badge as a reminder. Unlike her, he kept his wand in hand and his back to the wall.

"How long have you been watching?" he criticizes.

Gemma shrugs before scanning him suggestively and winking.

"Long enough to appreciate the view, remind me to thank Shrew next time I see her. The girl sure knows how to give a girl what she wants."

Percy scoffs as he folds his arms and completely ignores her teasing.

"I'm glad you're having a good enough evening," he starts.

Gemma snorts and shakes her head with something akin to fondness.

"Always straight to business with you, isn't it Weasley? You should make like those pesky demon twins of yours and learn to get a bit bent. The fun way of course. Hell, if you make it a party, I've already a guest list of people willing to dine with a few kitty cats for a bit of fun."

Percy frowns down at her sternly until she eventually gives in. The tease in her tone swapped for cold indifference and the mischief in her eyes now chilly and considering.

"Fine, I suppose I can hear you out. So long as you don't mind a bit of walking with this chatter, We've still got to patrol."

Percy nods in agreement and begins to lead. They start with idle small talk, taking the time to evaluate each other's mood. Their topics are light, about classes and holidays. They don't talk about family or their houses. Not yet. When they finish patrolling the second floor and make to head for the fourth floor, Gemma decides their ready to get to the big stuff.

"Flint mentioned you chased after him for reassurance before the sorting. Are you seeking something similar?"

Percy frowns and gives a short shake of his head, eyeing the girl beside him cautiously.

"No, Ron's a lion and settling well. He has more than enough support."

"Hm, then I was right to think this is more of a peace treaty than a trade," she mumbles looking thoughtfully distracted.

Percy knows better than to believe her ruse and stops walking to face her directly. She doesn't hesitate to meet his stare, looking up at him calculatedly. He 'thoughtfully' places his wand hand beneath his chin. The wand still in hand hums, responding to his magic. It's a power move, the intention behind it well received by the way she twirls her own wand between her fingers.

"You know my policies, Gemma. I _may_ be able to sway a few things, depending on the circumstances," he neutrally offers.

Gemma smirks, but the expression is no where near kind.

"Do you take me for a fool? I know the worth of a Weasley's promise, a bit of reassurance is the second-best thing."

At that, Percy finally lets an honest smile appear and the tension between them eases into something friendlier. The cold in Gemma's eyes fades into genuine worry.

"We got more snakes this year than ever, but Flint wants better watch over one in specific. She's been taken in by this year's neutrals, but they can't always be seen with her, or else they'll risk their position. For the most part she seems to be surviving, but you know how it is. Sooner or later surviving won't be enough, and she'll meet the end of someone's wand. She's got the core of a Slytherin for sure. But, as we both know, cunning can only get you so far."

Percy hums as he tries to puzzle out possible solutions that will work to both their advantages.

"Muggle-born?"

"Half-blood," Gemma corrects and Percy grins as it confirms the situation isn't as hopeless as he thought.

"Even better. What's the name?" he prompts.

Gemma grins and he pretends not to see the relief in her eyes.

"Tracy Davis. She won't thank you for the help, has enough pride to rival you lions, so best keep the 'coincidences' to a minimum."

Percy chuckles and speaks with a haughty smirk, his eyes gleaming with prideful knowing.

"You're in luck, two of my best needed a distraction after today's excitement. They'll appreciate the project."

Or at least they better, Percy would extend the twin's punishment to four months if they screwed this up.

Gemma let out a whistle, but the grateful glint to her eyes revealed her inner thoughts. Percy couldn't help the satisfied smirk that appeared on his lips for causing it. He ignored the warm sensation blooming in his chest, certain it was nothing but a bit of heartburn.

"Well, well, the little firstie's luck is sure to change if she'll have Weasley's finest seeing her safe."

Gemma's words are teasing, but Percy thought they'd sounded rather soft for a second. It was a sure sign he needed to hurry up and head to bed or risk his mind playing further tricks on him. He cleared his throat, his tone returning to it's earlier stern tenor.

"You mentioned a treaty…" he leads.

Gemma hums, flapping her hand carelessly as she moves forward and checks a few broom cupboards.

"Mmh, I suppose I did. Interested in them, are you?" she teased while looking over her shoulder.

Percy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew better than to agree to a Slytherin's demands first, especially so he could avoid their taunting game of cat and mouse. Merlin, he should have just waited till tomorrow and have Oliver help him corner Marcus. Why did he always attempt to deal with Gemma first? He always forgot his bloody wits and the fact she loves a game of tease and chase. Clearly the day has exhausted him far too much.

"You know I am," he sighed.

Gemma snickered before facing him fully, her wand twirling in between her fingers with practised ease. Percy blinked away his distraction and settled on glaring at her.

"Snape is still the Head of our House, Percy. Half-Blood weakling or not, we can't outwardly show our hand. Flint wants to play it close to the chest. He'd rather see where the cards fall as the rest of the year pans out," she hums circling him and never once fumbling with her wand.

Percy keeps an eye on her wand as he thinks over her words.

"Flint can't afford to wait till the end of the year. I don't, can't and won't speak for those above me, he knows this. After today, Snape will be lucky if McGonagall chooses to still _acknowledge_ his authority as a teacher."

Gemma stops twirling her wand, leaning over his left shoulder from behind looking rather thoughtful. Percy inwardly groans, while outwardly rolling his eyes, and leans away from her too close grin.

"Oh dear, sounds like quite the conundrum," she tenderly simpers.

Percy can't stop himself from groaning out loud this time. He can tell from the way she's grinning that she wants something else from him.

"Fine, fine spit it out already. What do you want?" he sneers, but Gemma's grin only widens in response.

"Another trade rather than a treaty. We snakes will play fair for the rest of the year IF you lions promise to wipe the Ravenclaws completely out of the running."

Percy blinks at the strange offer, feeling rather confused.

"Slytherin is allies with Ravenclaw…" he cautiously words.

Gemma grins sharply, her expression childishly innocent.

"If you want an even field, Weasley, you have to get rid of the waste. We both know Hufflepuff won't stand a chance against a House of scorned lions. The bloody badgers would happily step aside if you lions stir up enough of a fuss. The Ravens, however, have been sitting far too comfortably on their perches for awhile now. A shift in dynamic will be exactly what they need. You get them off the board, and we promise a fair play."

Percy struggles to figure out why Flint would push for abandoning Slytherin and Ravenclaw's long time alliance. At most, he expected the Slytherins to afford the Ravenclaws neutrality, while the rest of them battle for the House cup. If he's pushing for a complete Wipeout in favour of a two-way battle between Gryffindor and Slytherin… well it's just strange.

Perhaps Marcus wanted to challenge Oliver beyond the Quidditch pitch? Maybe he wanted to stretch their intense Quidditch Rivalry into the classroom as well?

Still… Percy couldn't help but feel he was missing something.

He considered Gemma's innocent grin a few seconds further before slowly nodding his head.

"Alright, if Marcus is sure that's his call, then I'll see it through. It's a promise of fair play for the rest of the year," he agreed.

Gemma smiled widely; the Cheshire stretch of her cheeks making Percy feel like he'd just lost this strange game they'd been playing. He'd never seen Gemma look so satisfied before and he wasn't sure what to make of it. She took his offered hand and then gave a firm shake to seal the transaction. Percy felt his neck grow warm as her fingers slowly slipped from his. He frowned irately and hoped he wasn't about to get the flu or something other. He had too much to do tomorrow to cater to a cold.

"I guess I've got myself a promise then," she murmured, her eyes sparkling with delight.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Gabriel Truman did not plan to spend his evening this way at all. The night had started relatively well, with a delicious feast and an unexpected show of entertainment. One that had him laughing with his mates as they watched the Gryffindor's rage. It was all in good fun at first until word finally reached their table on what Snape had done. The laughter stopped abruptly and turned into dark mutterings of loathing.

How pathetic does a man have to be to bully a couple of first years?

Maybe if Gabriel had paid closer attention, he would have heard the name 'Weasley' and been alert.

Maybe if he cared less for his responsibilities as a sixth-year prefect, he would have ignored it.

But damn his bloody heart and it's Hufflepuff core.

How could he have said no to the earnest and fretful mutterings of Cedric Diggory?

Cedric had been acting strange ever since the sorting and all the badgers were taking notice. How could they not? Cedric had endeared himself to all of them with his Golden boy smile and rather heroic charms. Gabriel would eat his hat if the boy didn't make prefect in his fifth year, or even Head boy one day.

So there Gabriel had been, pleasantly full after a good meal and ready for a bit of lazy lounging in the common room. He'd slipped on his fuzzy socks with stitched honey pots, had a hot cuppa tea in hand and was ready to read by the fire until curfew. It would have been the perfect way to end his first week back at Hogwarts. Completely Perfect!

Until bloody Cedric Diggory, with his dark hair and charming grey eyes, wouldn't stop pacing about in the common room.

Gabriel _had_ to ask what was bothering the third year, especially since he was making a few of the younger ones anxious.

"Merlin's bloody good cock, what the hell is the matter with you Cedric?" Gabriel groaned with a whine.

Cedric turned to him looking caught off guard, the fret in his form still evident.

"I don't think you should be saying things like that in front of the kids, Gabe," Cedric absently mumbled with a disapproving grimace.

Gabriel frowned and sipped at his cuppa, only to find it had cooled significantly and was now unappealing.

"Well it's loads better than damning the poor bugger's saggy balls. I mean, if he ever decides to come back as some mystical figure or whatever, how'd you think he'd feel knowing all of Wizarding Britain thinks his balls are wrinkled or hairy? If it were me, I'd at least want a compliment or two on occasion. Shit like that can mess with a blokes confidence you know," he reasoned.

Gabriel hadn't even noticed the fifth-year prefect creeping up behind him until she'd whacked him hard on the head with thick rolled-up parchment.

"Ouch! What hell Dubois?" he yelped as his tea spilled over from his shock.

Melissa looked down at him with a glowering glare and dried his sleeve with a wave of her wand.

"Susan Bones told me you were out here talking about cocks for all the innocents to hear," she accused.

Gabriel rubbed at his head, the sulky expression on his face only exaggerated a little bit.

"Yeah, well someone should warn her about what happens to a Badger that snitches. A good puff doesn't betray another puff and a great puff definitely doesn't tattle."

Melissa, however, had completely ignored his grumbling in favour of addressing the fretful Cedric.

"Though, he's not wrong. You've been out of sorts since dinner and its starting to worry the rest of the house."

"Dinner? Try the sorting! Don't tell me it's got something to do with the Weasley twins again? I thought you'd gotten over that," Gabriel added, now sitting up and looking more authoritative compared to his earlier manner.

"No, it's not Fred & George. They've got bigger interests than me this year and probably for the rest of our Hogwarts days," Cedric groans before settling into his favourite comfy chair.

And it really was Cedric's chair.

It was literally named 'Diggory's throne' because the boy was always in it. Of course, ever the humble and gracious badger, Cedric insisted it was just a joke shared among the house.

It really wasn't.

Not when it helped reflect the glow of the fire in his eyes and gave his entire profile a royal sort of presence.

Cedric could pretend all he liked but Gabriel knew the truth. Although, what did it matter if a could've been lion had chosen to live among the badgers? Afterall, the Lions housed Percy Weasley and his demon twin brothers who were so obviously snakes in disguise. If Cedric chose to be a Badger King instead of a Lion prince, who were they to say otherwise?

Gabriel sighed, suddenly feeling a little miffed he'd have graduated before he could see Cedric _really_ start to lead Hufflepuff.

"But it is a Weasley, isn't it?" Melissa softly pressed.

Cedric gave a slow nod, looking so full of concern, Gabriel couldn't take it any longer. He jumped to his feet with an incredibly annoyed growl and flicked his wand to summon his shoes.

"Ugh, I give up! Just tell us what's wrong so I can go try and do something about it. I hate seeing you all mopey and sad, like an abandoned pup or kitten begging for a meal!"

Cedric perked up immediately looking better already and Gabriel wished he could hate the boy for being so unfairly endearing.

"You will? Geez, you're the best Gabe, really!" Cedric praised.

Gabriel hated himself for ruining a perfect night of lazy relaxation in favour of being responsible. He pointedly ignored Melissa's smirk from her seat close to Cedric's right. After lacing his shoes and finishing his disgustingly cold cuppa, Gabriel was made aware of the situation.

He settled the empty cup on one of the tables and sighed grumpily before trudging his way out the badger hole.

"…And now I have to go talk to bloody Percy Weasley. Great, what a way to spend my Friday night. Silly Cedric and his stupid Weasley soft heart. Stupid Snape and his fucking prick ways. Ugh, politics suck so much…" he muttered as he marched to meet with Penelope Clearwater for patrol.

The Ravenclaw prefect was right to be surprised by his appearance. Friday was supposed to be the fifth-year female's patrol night, but oh well, guess things change.

"You need to talk to Percy? But he's not scheduled for patrol tonight," Penelope stated with a confused scrunch of her brows.

Gabriel once again hated himself for being so fucking soft. Ugh, it was so obvious she had the hots for the Gryffindor stiff. If he had to spend the entire patrol with her trying to pretend otherwise, he's going to scream. Cedric better not be wrong about his guess. If he _was_ right… maybe he should be concerned the younger boy was stalking Percy?

"The things I do for my badgers'…." He grumbled with a sigh.

Penelope looked at him as if waiting for something and it unnerved him to stare at her for too long. Did Ravenclaws really have to act like bloody birds because they got sorted into one?

"Let's finish the sixth floor and make our way towards the fifth. If my source is right, Weasley and Farley will probably have talked shop on the fourth floor before settling," He sighs before leading the way.

Penelope troops along beside him looking thoughtful. Gabriel hated it when a Ravenclaw started thinking too close to him, it always led to questions or lectures. Two things he could really do without on a Friday night. Once again, damn his stupid soft heart.

"Your source is awfully specific…" she starts with a hinting smile.

UGH! Politics fucking suck so bad!

"Don't even try with me, Clearwater, badgers don't snitch. If you want to know so badly, do like the Raven you are and study up."

Penelope pouts, which he can't help but notice, makes her look rather cute. He knows the game she's trying to start with him, but he's not in the mood to play. Like ever.

"Come on Truman, at least give a keyword or a prompt!" she attempts to weasel.

HAH! Weasel, blimey what a pun.

"Fine, the keyword is 'Nunya'," he taunts.

The glare she levels at him ruins the joke set up and he sighs.

"Penny, look. Do you really think I'd be here, on a Friday night looking for Percy Weasley, if I didn't have business to settle? I'm doing a favour for a friend, that's it."

Penelope sighs and accepts his reason, but it doesn't get rid of the persistent curiosity in her eyes.

"Fine, but just… answer this one question and I'll drop it completely."

He rolls his eyes but grudgingly waves for her to ask.

"Does she have a crush on Percy?" she blurts.

Gabriel doesn't even try to stop himself; he throws his head back and laughs like he's been hit with a tickling charm. Perhaps that was the intention of some mystic force, as Percy Weasley and Gemma Farley happen upon them in such a state.

"Truman? I thought you begged off Fridays due to some important matter or some other," Percy wondered with that pompous stare of his.

Gabriel sobered from his laughing fit and wiped at his eyes. He completely ignored the slow growing tension between the two females, while Percy remained oblivious.

"Farley, lovely evening."

"Clearwater."

Gabriel straightened out of his slouch and inwardly locked away all his earlier frustration. Instead, he embraced the responsible sixth year Hufflepuff prefect he needed to be for the moment.

"Weasley, fancy a bit of a wander? So long as Farley doesn't mind a short switch of partners," he suggested.

Penelope and Gemma wore the same strained grins on their lips, both knew it was hardly a suggestion and more of an order. Gabriel, for all his lazy and relaxed ways, was still their Senior Prefect. Not even Percy could deny him even if he wanted. The Hufflepuff tried not to show just how uncomfortable the respect and authority made him feel.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

They stayed on the fifth floor, the girls still in sight, but didn't speak until Gabriel was sure they'd not be heard. Percy tried not to show his apprehension as the older Hufflepuff had a reputation for hating underhanded house politics. Considering Percy just promised to actively sabotage Ravenclaws chances at gaining the house cup, he was worried the badger had somehow known. Hufflepuffs had an awfully adept talent for digging out secrets and anything hidden, so long as they had the time or cared.

"So, _Percy_ , how is it going mate? You good? Are you feeling great?" Gabriel prompted.

Percy tried not to point his wand at the older boy who suddenly crowded his personal space. The older boy was looking him over from head to toe like a healer giving a medical. Percy frowned but stiffly confirmed he felt rather well. Gabriel smiled brightly which only increased Percy's unease. As he suspected, the older Badger then dropped his smile and his eye darkened protectively.

"I'll get straight into it. Cedric's concerned over some 'little Ronnie' and won't settle down long enough for anyone to cool his wits. Now, I know the boy's got history with those demon pests of yours, but what's the deal with this 'little Ronnie'? Why's he triggering my badger?"

Percy couldn't help but melt a little with fond amusement at hearing Cedric was concerned for Ron. Perhaps he'd shown his fondness a little too blatantly as Gabriel suddenly backed off with a considering stare.

"So, he's really important to Cedric then?" the older prefect muttered.

Percy sighs relieved this wasn't about House politics and more about Cedric being sweet and considerate.

"You can tell Cedric Ron's perfectly fine, besides, he and his friends are grounded for a week. If its not enough to settle him, he's welcomed to join us for dinner tomorrow. I'm sure Ron would be eager to catch up with his favourite neighbour."

Gabriel hummed but made no verbal agreement to pass on the message. Percy let out another sigh, knowing the older boy wanted a different show of reassurance.

"You can also tell Cedric that the twins will be busy with a side project of mine for the rest of the year. I've also established a ban from pranking for a month, a promise they've sworn to abide to."

Gabriel finally relaxed looking pleased by expressing it with a sharp whistle.

"Percy Weasley, putting a lock down on the demon twins? Damn, Snape totally did a number on you Gryffindors today," he mused.

Percy scowled at the reminder and the action projected his opinion easily. Gabriel gave another considering hum and Percy wondered what else the badger had to discuss. Seeming to have made a decision, Gabriel rolled his eyes and muttered a resigned 'ugh, I hate politics' before elaborating.

"I'll talk to the higher ups for my house, see if they can get a feel for Wilkins and Daniels plays. They might be willing to play neutral but in the face of the bloodbath you seem to be hinting at, my Badgers might get caught up in the chaos. I'm not making any promises, but I got a lot of rules to put in place before Monday. If you can keep your lions in line until then, we should be golden."

"You've got until Wednesday. The upper years are still mad and looking to assign blame and I'm not sure what Wilkins and Daniel might preach to calm them down. Unless I settle with the rest of my house peers, we're looking at a four-day cooling period to deviate the lines drawn."

Gabriel winced looking rather sympathetic after hearing Percy admit to the strife fostering between himself and the upper Gryffindor years. The older boy then placed a comforting arm around Percy's shoulder, reminding him of the day they'd first met.

"Ease up alright, Perce. You know this isn't a race, tomorrows always going to come but if you don't live for today, you'll be upset you missed it. Tomorrow will always come; it's today you'll never see again."

Percy nodded, straightening his stance from the slight slump it had slipped into.

"You're right. Thank you, Gabe," he smiled.

Gabriel waved it off and ignored the knowing look to Percy's eyes.

"Yeah well, I owed Charlie one and the bloody berk knew just how to trap me. Besides, we got Diggory fretting more than enough for both of us about this mess."

Percy smirked and Gabriel cleared his throat before slouching and returning to his usual self.

"Now can we please finish up Patrol? This is way pass the time I wanted to sleep tonight."

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Down in the Dungeons, Marcus Flint sketched out his newest quidditch play with a thoughtful hum. He doubted he'll be adding any new players to the team and from what he's spied of the Gryffindors, Wood doesn't have much of a selection this year either. Still, its best to always have a contingency play.

"You're late," he absently scoffed, never once looking up from his parchment.

Gemma hummed looking incredibly pleased with herself which was enough to have him uneasy. The girl might be a great vice to his position but her stubborn ambition never failed to bring him trouble. He also had a feeling that whatever had her grinning like a loon had something to do with Percy Weasley. She always got like this after having a bit of fun with the lion.

"Oh, hush you. Weasley made an appearance tonight, I settled a guard for Davis. She'll have the pests on her six till she can hold her own. Weasley promise and all."

Marcus looked up at that trying not to smirk at the obvious satisfaction in her tone. She's got a good handle on dealing with Percy and he knew she'd walk away with what he wanted. Then she wandered over to his parchment looking far too casual for him not to be suspicious. She took his quill and scribbled in a quick play that he'd not even considered. It was a good strategy, one he bet Wood wouldn't even see coming.

"What did you do?" he growled, suspecting the rise of trouble in the horizon.

Gemma gave him a childish grin with the slightest bit of apology to it.

"I _may_ have used your name as a cover to deal with a personal matter of interest."

"Damnit Farley!" he snarls after she tells him of the exchange.

She shrugs in his face, apologetic for the lack of warning but not the act itself.

"The Ravens value their independence far too much to fall behind Hillard & Summer's. Those two barely even have a handle over their house as a whole! Clearwater is still too new to have dredged up enough of a standing. Do you have any idea the position you've put me in? Corvus is going to kill me for this."

Gemma, the bloody chit, just shrugged again.

"The Lions are out for blood, Flint. Weasley's got two more years at Hogwarts and you know he's going to climb the ladder to Head boy the year we graduate . If we don't give a show now, we'll be losing rank to the Puffs. We're friendly, but we're not secure. The Weasley's are changing the board and Snape's loss of power and influence is most likely just the beginning. If we want to stay at the top, we're going to need to battle for it now."

The infuriating thing is she wasn't wrong. If Charlie Weasley hadn't ditched to chase dragons, this year would've already seen them floundering around the bottom of the Hogwarts ranks. While rather neutral towards them, there was no way they'd have as much of a pull as they did now. Percy Weasley's favour could only carry them so far. The upper years still had a grudge against the Eldest two Weasley's, but Percy was making good headway with fifth year and below.

"I hope you understand what you've put into motion Farley," he eventually sighed, and the girl smirked.

"Come on Flint, have I ever let you down?"

He glared at her and she backed off.

"Don't push it. I'll deal with Corvus, but you need to get Griffin's up to date. Can't believe you're using the Lions to clear the Ravens over a stupid crush on Weasley."

Gemma smirked, the cunning in her eyes bright.

"Clearwater should up her game. If she thinks playing the bashful-girl-next-door is going to get her anywhere, she's got another thing coming. Percy's too innocent to see it for anything other than a bit of kindness."

Marcus snorted and muttered his response with a smirk of his own.

"Yeah, yeah. At least you chose a redeemable blood traitor to chase after. Your mum can't be too mad once she meets him."

Gemma giggles looking incredibly pleased.

"I know right!"

Merlin help Percy Weasley get a clue or else the bloody girl was going to eat him alive. Marcus sighed and grabbed a new bit of parchment to puzzle out his new problem. Some nights he really hated his position of influence in his house. On his worst, he always regretted endorsing Gemma as she tended to bring him the worst kind of headaches.

He suddenly imagined their seventh year with Gemma as Head girl and Percy as Head boy.

The chills up his arms brought him both terror and eager anticipation.

Merlin it was going to be beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you need it :)
> 
> Mentioned Hogwarts Prefects [Active]:
> 
> Arnold Daniels & Marsha Wilkins: 7th year Gryffindor Prefect
> 
> Lewis Bishop & Sarah Marshall: 6th year Gryffindor Prefect
> 
> Amanda Shrew & Percy Weasley: 5th year Gryffindor Prefect
> 
> Gabriel Truman: 6th year Hufflepuff Prefect
> 
> Melisa Dubois: 5th year Hufflepuff Prefect
> 
> Robert Hillard & Felicia Summers: 7th year Ravenclaw Prefect
> 
> Penelope Clearwater: 5th year Ravenclaw Prefect
> 
> Frank Griffins & Gemma Farley: 5th year Slytherin Prefect
> 
> Corvus: 7th year Slytherin Prefect


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter: First time Flyers.**

The trio were now six days into their grounding by Percy.

For the most part they were managing.

Harry had come to realize by Tuesday that Hogwarts, despite being a Magic school, was very much still a school. Now that he was grounded, he studied more than he ever imagined he could handle. Percy's punishment had the trio sticking to a routine. It wasn't too bad, exactly like Ron had said, but it was frustrating. Harry, while bright, never had a fondness for studies. He could mange through eight classes but with the extra two hours of study after dinner, he desperately needed a break.

"But you said Percy would let us off early if we showed good behaviour!" Harry pushed.

Ron sighed but didn't look up from his letter writing. Thursday's breakfast started as usual, with Ron receiving and responding to his sister's letter. Hermione was sulkily sipping at her juice. She'd thrown a right fit when Percy discovered her coffee drinking habits and promptly declared a ban on the beverage from Gryffindors' table. Ron had been rather smug as he watched the two argue it out, and then incredibly pleased when Percy won. So long as Percy was at Hogwarts Hermione's access to coffee would be monitored.

"It would stunt her growth and was unhealthy for a girl her age," he'd said.

If Hermione wanted coffee, she'd have to ask the other tables for some. Percy must have informed the older Gryffindor students of what he'd done because they too always managed to have a cup and kept it far away from Hermione.

Figures that Hermione would only detest her punishment when her coffee habits were affected. Harry morbidly wondered what she'd do if her books were threatened? Or even her Library privileges?

"Remind me to never get imprisoned with Potter or Granger," Seamus muttered to Dean.

Harry and Hermione glared at the boy who shivered under its intensity but still laughed. Dean shook his head at his friend and bit into his toast, observing Ron and Harry from the corner of his eye. Lavender and Parvati were chatting on Neville's side, who was sat next to Harry, only paying minor attention to the conversation.

After Percy's speech about unity and looking out for one another, the Gryffindor first years had grown closer. Lavender was still wary towards Hermione and Harry was still sure Dean hated him, but they were friendly enough. Merlin bless Ron, Neville, Parvati, and Seamus who often smoothed over any possible awkwardness that might rise among the group.

"Come on guys, we've only got one more day to go. You've lasted this long why not just finish the punishment," Ron carelessly replied.

Harry huffed and shared a commiserating look with Hermione that roughly translated to 'Can you believe this shite?'.

"At first, I didn't believe you, now I do. They've really never been grounded." Lavender marvelled while addressing Ron.

Ron looked up from his letter to give a solemn nod.

"Well, he is the boy-who-lived and she is a book enthusiast." Parvati hummed with a considering stare.

Dean snorted at Parvati trying to be nice and not call Hermione a nerd.

Harry and Hermione flushed at the subtle teasing. They'd been rather annoyed to find they were the only first years to never experience a grounding. Even Neville had been grounded a time or two. Speaking of Neville, the boy was reading his letter from his Gran with a furrowed brow. Harry felt a surge of concern for the boy and nudged Ron to attention.

"Everything alright Neville?" Harry asked.

Neville looked up and while he tried to smile, it didn't hide the conflicted gleam in his eyes.

"Fine, Harry. Just… Gran is checking in and all, asking about classes. She's curious on how I'm doing in DADA."

The rest of their group shared snickering laughs and snorts at the mention of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"You should be sure to tell her you're ace at it. If a stuttering mess like Quirrell could qualify enough to teach the subject, you're practically a master at it." Ron assured.

Neville blushed but didn't refuse the compliment. Ron wasn't wrong, Neville had surprised them all in Defense. Harry still found himself endlessly curious on what Percy might have said to Neville. Whatever it was had really encouraged the soft-hearted boy. While he was still a bit clumsy and shy, he no longer walked with his head low or apologised as often. Neville also proved knowledgeable about DADA's spell theory, enough to almost match Hermione. He still messed up with the practical's, which is where Harry excelled regardless of his weird migraine every class. In a few years Harry's sure Neville will beat him, but…well he could be quite competitive sometimes.

"Makes you wonder what happened to Quirrell to trigger such a huge personality shift," Dean pondered getting a lot of head nods in agreement.

The trio's punished study session had turned into a First-year tutoring session after Monday. Percy made them study in the common room rather than the library for some reason. It hadn't been too strange as plenty of other Gryffindor students had settled in to do the same. But when Neville struggled with his transfiguration homework and asked Percy for help, the rest eventually followed. It was kind of fun, Hermione certainly loved it, but the exercises were quite challenging. Percy also suggested they do a bit of research on their teachers so they could avoid another Snape incident in the future. Know thy enemy and what not.

"Whatever it was, he was quite brave to survive it at least," Parvati added.

"Maybe… but he's got nothing on Professor Flitwick. Who would have thought someone so tiny could be so scary?" Lavender praised.

As one they all looked to the teachers table at the tiny professor conversing with Professor Sprout. The two were looking incredibly cheerful for a Thursday morning, whatever it was they were discussing seemed quite funny.

"Anyway, what was in the package, Nev?" Seamus distracted peering curiously at the small box that came with Neville's letter.

"Oh, um right…"

Neville opened the package and the Gryffindor first years curiously waited for the reveal. Nestled in the small box was a sphere the size of a large marble. It looked like it was made of glass and had white smoke trapped inside. Hermione had all but shoved her plate aside as she leaned over to look closer.

"What is it?" she pestered, and Neville grinned.

"It's a Remembrall! Gran knows I can be mighty forgetful." He explained.

"How does it work? What does it do?" Hermione fired back, her muggle notebook in hand and her pencil scribbling away.

Lavender, Dean and Seamus groaned in unison. Harry and Ron sighed and rolled their eyes at the bushy haired girl. Only Neville and Parvati seemed entertained by her antics.

"It helps wizards remember things they forgot," Parvati explained.

She couldn't help but be reminded of her twin's endless curiosity. It was hard being in different houses, but Padma _seemed_ to be doing okay in Ravenclaw. A little _too_ okay, in her opinion. But then of course… Padma was always rather independent and better at hiding her feelings. She must have looked a bit sad as Lavender had laced their hands together in comfort. Parvati smiled feeling a little bit better. It was nice having a friend, but Lavender could never measure up to her twin. Maybe she should accept the Weasley twins offer for a chat? They probably would understand her feelings the best.

Hermione was now requesting a demonstration on how to use the Remembrall, so Neville obliged. They all see his shock and rising panic when the smoke in the ball turned red.

"Oh no…" he despairs

"What is it?" Hermione presses, looking a little concerned but still curious.

"I've forgotten something."

Ron reaches pass Harry and pats Neville on the chest.

"No big deal Nev. You just don't have your tie today."

"Oh!"

The smoke in the ball turned white again and Harry hummed with interest as Hermione madly continued to scribble. With everyone now talking about other things, Harry slumped into his seat in defeat. Clearly there would be no early ending to this punishment and he'll be stuck studying in the common room as usual.

"What have we got today?" he reluctantly sighed.

Ron had just sent off his letter and looked down at Harry's moping with a snort.

"Honestly, mate, you've got to stop with the mood swings. We're only eleven, not even teenagers yet!"

Harry glared at the taller boy and dipped his spoon into his porridge.

"I'm not moody!" he loudly protested.

In unison all the Gryffindor first years giggled in disagreement. Harry was going to protest some more, not happy with the early morning teasing, but Ron cut him off with an easy-going grin.

"Alright, it was just a bit of fun. You're just too easy though, you really need to watch that temper of yours."

Hermione, the bloody hypocrite, voiced her complete agreement until Ron looked to her with the same frown as Percy.

"You too Granger. Harry only follows your example. I mean, you can't keep giving everyone who rubs you wrong your bloody death stare."

Harry smirked when Ron wasn't looking but quickly hid it behind a wide-eyed pout.

"It's true, you know. I think you might be a bad influence on me Granger," he sighed.

Seamus yelped in shock when Hermione stabbed her spoon into her oatmeal so hard it cracked the bowl. The air around her seemed scarily charged as she dully stared back at Harry whose eyes revealed his mischief.

"I will end you," she ominously threatened.

Harry grinned, not in the least bit afraid. Ron himself looked rather amused, neither boy feeling at all threatened. How could they when Hermione threatened at least one of them at breakfast every morning. Neville sighed, having realized this was considered teasing among the three, while the others dramatically scooted away.

"Dean, that was a _spoon_. She cracked the bowl with a _spoon_!" Seamus hissed frantically.

"She's a nightmare, a walking living nightmare." Lavender whispered to Parvati.

Neville quickly spoke up not wanting this to grow into an argument or another debate. He sat through enough of those during dinner and their tutoring sessions.

"Flying lessons start today!" he blurted.

It did the trick in grabbing everyone's attention, but their earlier teasing banter shifted into one of nerves.

"That's alright, innit? I'm not too bad on a broom," Seamus shrugged.

"I've never flown before, but it always did look rather fun," Parvati added.

"Ugh, but the wind is just going to mess up my hair. I'm not Harry you know, I can't pull off a mess that great," Lavender huffed.

Harry scowled and looked completely exasperated.

"Why are you all cracking shots at me today?" he grumbled.

Lavender turned to him with a cute smile and a wink.

"Because you're the boy-who-lived, silly. If a few jokes and a bit fun is enough to knock you down, the next possible dark lord will probably be a breeze."

Seamus laughed while Parvati giggled. Even Neville and Dean seemed amused by her words. Ron watched them with a considering frown and his brows furrowed downwards at a terrifying thought.

"Have you lot been talking with Fred & George?" he suspiciously asked.

The five immediately sprouted denials which all but confirmed Ron's suspicions. The familiar scowl and grumpy gleam in his eyes turned towards his laughing twin brothers and their friends further down the table.

"Those meddling gits," he sneered.

"They're not that bad you know," Neville shrugged when Harry looked at them with betrayal.

"Is that a joke?" Hermione stiffly asked.

"They bloody hate me!" Harry exclaimed.

Although Fred & George were no longer as intimidating as when they'd first met, Harry and Hermione were constantly on alert whenever they were mentioned. They would not be caught off guard and Lee's warning still lingered on their minds. They knew the Weasley twins would be brutal if they let anything happen to Ron.

Lavender rolled her eyes and dryly gave her response.

"Oh, please Potter, not everything revolves around you."

Harry growled and turned back to his breakfast with a grumpy huff. Today was clearly going to be a 'pick on Harry' day and he resigned himself to a day full of jokes. He couldn't imagine his day getting any worse.

He should've known better considering his luck.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

At three-thirty that afternoon, the Gryffindor first years hurried down the front steps toward the training grounds for their first flying lesson. The day was clear and breezy, and Harry greedily inhaled the smell of open freedom. Hermione snorted and lightly shoved him from behind.

"And you wonder why they tease you. Again, grounded not prisoners," she mocked.

Harry glared and leaned closely to whisper in her ear.

"One word. Coffee," he darted back with a laugh when Hermione lunged to grab hold of his robes.

"Oi!" Ron snarled, as Harry grinned from behind him.

Hermione made a motion with her hands, as if she were attempting to strangle something. Neville, the blessed lad, distracted her by pulling out his Remembrall and asking if she would like to hold it for him. Hermione abandoned her ire and stared at Neville as if he offered her the secret to immortality.

"You'd let me?" she hesitantly checked.

"Well, yes. You know I'm awfully clumsy. I don't think I'm going to be good at flying. It'll be safer with you."

Neville shuffled his feet looking upset with himself. He wasn't wrong, which was unfortunate, but Harry didn't think he should be so quick to give up on himself. Neville was a lot more confident lately, but he still had his moments.

"You shouldn't think like that, Nev. We haven't even tried it yet, you might surprise yourself, like in Defense!" Harry comforted.

Ron nodded and slung his arm over Neville's shoulder, leading the boy forward.

"Tell you what, if you're that nervous about it, I'll help you out."

Neville blinked up at Ron, astounded by the offer and Harry felt a brief spike of jealousy.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Neville checked.

"Sure, can't be that hard. I did the same for Ginny when she wanted to learn."

It was a small fib as it was Bill and Charlie who'd helped Ron and Ginny learn to fly. Ron had just held Ginny's hand while they were hovering. But nobody needed to know about that.

"I'm a bit nervous too Nev. I've never been on a broom at all, this will be my first time seeing it fly and everything!" Harry added.

Neville looked rather relieved at not being alone with his fears. Ron then stretched the offer to Harry as well. Neville and Harry shared excited grins, no longer nervous since Ron had offered his help. Hermione watched quietly from the side lines completely unimpressed. As Ron continued to chatter and lead Neville towards the lawns, Harry felt Hermione's persistent stare at the side of his face. He turned to her with a confused huff.

"What?"

"Utter kiss arse."

She scoffed, gave him a taunting smirk before pocketing Neville's Remembrall and pushing pass him. Harry glared at the back of her frizzy head and heard Seamus turn to Dean from their group behind them.

"Do you think Ron will help me too? I'm terrible at flying," he insisted.

"Seamus, you said you weren't bad at it during breakfast," Parvati pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but Nev and Harry are getting Ron's help."

"Merlin, have you got a crush on Ron or something? You're always talking about him!" Lavender giggled

There was a smudge on Harry's glasses, and he took it off to clean it. When he put it back on the glare of the sun was a bit bright causing him to glare. He didn't realize he was facing the others until Dean shoved at Seamus and told him to be quiet. Harry blinked awkwardly as the group suddenly fell silent. Dean gave an awkward smile Harry's way and Harry immediately returned it.

"Uh, Alright Harry? Seamus was just having a bit of a laugh," Dean explained.

"Oh yeah, no I get it. Although, Lavender's was a bit funnier," Harry blustered in reply.

They shared a laugh that sounded a little too desperate to be real. Then Harry, like a coward, babbled some nonsense and hurried to catch up to Ron and the others. They'd been waiting for him, Ron and Hermione mid debate and Neville with a patient grin.

"Alright Harry?" Neville asked.

"Fine, just you know, giving Dean even more reason to hate me."

Hermione and Ron groaned in unison and shook their heads.

"Not this again," Ron moaned.

"Its true! He absolutely hates me! Look, listen, here's what happened."

Harry quickly fills them in trying to convince them of his case.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Meanwhile, Dean had turned to his own group and gestured frantically to where Harry had been standing.

"Did you see! See! I told you! Potter hates me!" he insists.

"Well, he did seem rather annoyed…" Parvati mildly points out.

"Annoyed? He glared at me!"

Lavender has a wicked smirk on her lips, her eyes full of teasing delight.

"Or maybe he was just jealous. I mean with all of Seamus's talk of Ron and what you've said about Harry, maybe I'm not wrong and someone does indeed have a crush."

Dean and Seamus blink looking incredibly flabbergasted by Lavenders suggestion. The only one aware of Lavender's mischief is Parvati, but she's too amused to bother enlightening the boys.

"Merlin, that would explain a lot about Potter," Dean mumbled with amazed shock.

"You think?" Seamus ponders.

Parvati rolls her eyes as Lavender bites her tongue to hide her giggles. She suddenly thinks maybe Ron is right to be concerned. They'd been spending too much time with the Weasley twins. Clearly, they've been a terrible influence on Lavender.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Ron stood in between Harry and Neville keeping an extremely close eye on Hermione. Since the sorting, the Slytherins had kept their distance. While they aimed the occasional sneer and disgusted glares their way, they never came close enough to share words. After Friday, both set of first years pretended the other didn't exist.

Parkinson, the pug girl from before the sorting, was sticking close to Bulstrode, Crabbe and Goyle. She also kept a wary eye on Hermione, who looked completely oblivious to the careful guard against her.

Ron couldn't help but notice Malfoy stood with Nott and Zabini at his back instead of his usual beefy goons. He's momentarily curious about the change but turns forward at the arrival of their teacher. Madam Hooch is exactly as the twins described, grey haired and yellow eyed with a piercing stare. 'The McGonagall of flying' they joked.

Ron's just relieved she's not another Snape.

"Well, what are you all waiting for? Everyone stand by a broom stick. Come on, hurry up," she ordered.

They hurried to obey, and as she sharply barked out her instructions, Ron began to smirk. Merlin, Ginny was going to absolutely love her. He could already imagine the starry-eyed determination she'd wear during her own flying lesson.

"Now, stick out your right hand over your broom and say up."

Ron didn't bother trying, instead he watched his year mates attempt it instead. Majority of the Slytherins already had their brooms in their hands, although a few of their girls still struggled. Malfoy caught his eye and smirked tauntingly, Ron ignored it and looked over to Harry instead.

Harry hadn't yet bothered to hold his hand out, too busy hissing at Hermione.

"Hermione! You can't just, not try!" the green-eyed boy argued.

Hermione glared back at him; her arms folded with that ever-present stubborn glint in her eye.

"I don't want to fly, Potter. I like my feet planted firmly on the ground."

Ron grinned, shamelessly inserting himself into their conversation like the day they'd first met.

"Too fond of being a stick in the mud, Granger?" he teased.

Hermione turned her death stare on him, but Ron switched his grin for a smirk.

"B-but it's flying! Actually, flying in the air!" Harry stressed looking completely stunned.

Hermione stared Harry dead in the eye and bluntly said "No". Harry ran his hand through his hair in frustration and turned to Ron while gesturing towards Hermione.

"Talk some sense to her, please!" he pleaded.

Ron couldn't stop himself from shortly laughing as he shook his head.

"It's her choice, Harry. If she doesn't want to fly, she doesn't want to fly. You can't force people to do what they don't want to do."

Hermione smirked and gave a thankful nod in his direction.

"Thank you, Ronald."

Harry growled, but perked up when Ron mischievously pointed towards the oncoming Madam Hooch.

"Good luck convincing Madam Hooch of your reason though."

Harry crowed with pleasure while Hermione scowled. Ron laughed and made his way over to Neville and the others. Seamus suddenly dropped his broomstick at his approach, looking rather pitiful. Dean looked at his Irish friend with a disbelieving groan while the two girls giggled.

"Ron! Could you help me too?" Seamus requested with a pleading expression.

Ron distractedly shook his head as he replied.

"I'm helping Neville, Seamus."

He ignored Seamus' whining and complaining to Dean. Instead he turned to Neville who fidgeted nervously, whispering 'up' sharply to his broom but getting no reaction.

"Children." Madam Hooch suddenly announced sounding rather stressed.

All the first years looked to her immediately, curiously noting the older Hufflepuff student beside her looking rather harried.

"There is a matter I am needed for and should only be momentarily absent. You will practice commanding your brooms to your hands, but absolutely NO flying. Am I clear?" she sternly ordered.

"Yes, Madam Hooch," they echoed.

She stared them all in the eye, making a few nervous as it reminded them of a sharped eyed hawk.

"If I see or hear a single one of you disobeyed, I'll see you out of Hogwarts before you can even say Quidditch."

They all swallow nervously at the threat, not moving until she is racing off with the Hufflepuff student at her side.

"I wonder what that was about it?" Harry voiced, moving closer to Ron and the others.

"Dunno. Maybe we could ask Percy or the twins tonight?" Parvati suggests.

Hermione grins and twirls smugly in Harry's direction with mocking tease.

"Guess I win then, Potter."

"W-What? But Hermione!" Harry whines but the girl has already settled onto the ground, her notebook and pencil in hand with the Remembrall in the other.

"Give it up mate, we've lost her…." Ron solemnly sighs like a grieving friend.

Harry slumps in defeat as Hermione's muttering grows louder and more manic. Lavender, Seamus, Dean and Parvati burst into giggling laughter, while Neville tries to hide his own entertained grin at the trio's dramatics.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Madam Hooch had been gone for more than just a moment. It was nearing twenty minutes and Hermione was starting to feel rather bored. She'd long finished noting all her curiosities into her 'Book of Curiosities Vol 3'; had already given Neville his Remembrall back. Now she was lazing on the grass watching the sky. It was rare for her mind to feel so clear and calm. Hence why she was greedily savouring the moment as it never lasted long. She just knew something would happen and ruin her moment of peaceful serenity.

"Oomph!"

Hermione twisted her head at the noise and inwardly sighed with irate annoyance.

She knew it.

Neville was sprawled on the ground, his Remembrall rolling across the grass over to where Malfoy and his new goons were standing. The others had yet to notice just how close to the snakes Neville had been, too busy discussing Quidditch. Hermione frowned heavily when Malfoy picked up Neville's Remembrall with a sneering smirk on his face.

"Drop something Longbottom?" Malfoy innocently piped.

Neville scrambled to his feet, as did Hermione. She narrowed her eyes at Malfoy feeling the familiar nagging sensation and growing itch of her scar. This moment was important to her somehow, and it irritated her that she didn't know why.

"C-could you give it back please?" Neville requested, doing his best to stand tall despite the trepidation in his voice.

The other Gryffindors and Slytherins had noticed the confrontation and were slowly moving closer. They carefully kept to their sides of the training grounds, toeing the invisible line drawn between their houses. By the time Hermione had joined up with the others behind Neville, the snakes mirrored them behind Malfoy.

Malfoy hummed while marvelling at the Remembrall in his hand. The smoke remained white and the glass reflected the sun rays beautifully. The blond little shit darted a quick look towards Ron, who stood to Neville's left with Hermione on Neville's right, and grinned tauntingly.

"And what if I don't? You going to do something about it, Longbottom? Or will Potter's attack dog jump to your rescue?" Malfoy mocked.

Hermione's scar was irritatingly itchy now, and she growled, but Ron's grip on her wrist held her in place. She turned to him with a dark glare, but Ron's expression was cool and indifferent. Oddly, his hold on her wrist seemed to soothe the itch of her scar and the nagging sensation eased off. She suddenly noticed that Ron's other hand was tightly gripping the collar of his shirt. Almost as if it were trying to dig into his chest.

"He said give it back, Malfoy" Harry quietly interrupted as he pushed his way to the front.

The Gryffindors parted to let him through and Harry stood next to Neville, his eyes narrowed and gleaming a dangerous green. Hermione moved to step forward, but the nagging sensation surged suddenly, and she clutched at her scar to ease the ache. She felt Ron's grip tighten just a bit more and she looked to him. He too looked rather pained and frustrated. Hermione had the sudden thought that maybe… something otherworldly didn't want them to intervene.

It annoyed her but, in the end, she stayed in place and silently watched the events fold out before them.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Harry could only ever remember one incident in which he'd felt this kind of anticipation.

He and Dudley were nine and it'd been a month after Aunt Petunia told him about his parents. They were walking back from school, not talking as usual, when Piers and his gang ambushed them. They'd taunted Harry for being a freak and called Dudley stupid for hanging out with Harry. Dudley could hold his own against bullies, especially Piers and his gang. But that day, Harry had been looking for trouble, he was waiting for it to find him.

Today is no different.

He almost smirks with glee when Malfoy doesn't listen to his request. Instead, the blond darts a look over to where Ron and Hermione are, before addressing Harry once more.

"No, I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to work a bit of his meals off."

Harry glares and can hear Lavender and the others growling insults back at the blond while a few snakes laugh. Neville winced and his head lowered slightly, but Harry pats his back and guides him over to Ron and Hermione.

"I'll handle this," Harry whispers to Neville.

Malfoy sneers and Harry lets the smallest amount of excitement settle on his lips. There's something in him that is urging Malfoy to challenge him more, to give him a real good reason to show him who'd win between them. Harry just needs a good enough excuse; one he could work with.

"You want it? Come and get it."

When Malfoy hops onto his broomstick and takes off into the sky, tauntingly holding the Remembrall in his hands, Harry grins. Nobody tries to stop him; they just watch him command his broom into hand. It jumps immediately and Harry zooms upwards into the air. The whip of the wind against his cheeks, the open skies ahead of him, all of it is pure bliss. Harry feels something in his chest settle and he hesitantly likens it to homecoming and freedom. Something he'd never known before.

When he hovers across from Malfoy, he relishes in the other boy's shock. Harry holds his broomstick with one hand, incredibly confident despite the height, that he's in complete control.

"Give it back Malfoy or I'll knock you off your broom," he warns.

Malfoy's smirk wavers for a second and Harry spots the genuine worry in his eyes before the boy could hide it. The smile he gives at the sight is far from friendly and full of lopsided mockery.

"Scared? There's nobody up here but you and me," Harry taunts leadingly.

Harry's not sure what expression he wears but it makes Malfoy grow pale. Harry chuckles as the cheers of his Housemates reach him from below. They're egging him on, cheering for him and Harry savours the sound and arches an expectant brow at the blond.

"Do you really want to do this?" he condescendingly drawls.

Malfoy glares, his face turning a dark pink from embarrassment and his eyes glint dangerously.

"You want it? Go get it."

Malfoy then chucks Neville's Remembrall into the air and Harry watches the ball rise before it rapidly starts to drop. He doesn't spare Malfoy another glance and races after it while the blond returns to the ground among his Housemates. The whistling wind is loud in his ears, the vibration of his broomstick fierce in his hand, but Harry doesn't dare pull his broom up from its dive.

'Not yet' a voice in his mind whispers, 'Don't pull up just yet'.

Harry chases the ball, his hand outstretched while the rest of the world is forgotten to his senses.

"HARRY!" he hears Lavender scream.

He pushes just a little bit more and snatches the ball from its drop.

'NOW!' the voice in his mind orders, and he obeys.

He grunts with effort to direct his broomstick upwards; the tips of the grass skims his feet and he jumps off his broom, tucking and rolling onto the flat off his back. He lifts his hand and grins at the Remembrall gleaming bright in his hold. The rise and fall of his chest, the pounding of his heart; he's never felt more alive.

He hears the screaming chant of his name and when he's on his feet again, he's ambushed by his bouncing Housemates. Seamus is practically choking him in a hug, Lavender is wiping at her eyes yelling at him for scaring the shit out of her. Parvati and Neville are too busy praising him for such a wicked move. Even Dean was smiling at him, looking incredibly awed.

But Harry's eyes looked over their heads to where Hermione and Ron lingered in the back.

Both watched him with strange expressions, and he feels a sudden swoop of nervous dread. Are they mad at him? Did he scare them with that last move? He hopes they aren't mad. They must have seen his worry because Ron rolls his eyes and stomps over with a scowl. He slings his arm around Harry's shoulders and noogies him on the head. Harry yelps as Ron scolds him with his usual scowl.

"What the bloody hell was that? You trying to kill me at eleven?"

Harry really shouldn't laugh but it bubbles out of him. He can tell Ron's not mad, can see the proud awe in his eyes despite the glare its set in. When he's freed, Harry's barely given a second to recover when Hermione is on him. She chokes him in a hug, extremely tight, and he struggles to breathe pass her bushy hair.

"Ughk H-Hermi-OW!"

"You stupid boy! What were you thinking? What if you had been killed? You've never been on a broom your whole life and you decide to dive into a suicide!" she yells in his ear.

"I'm fine, aren't I?" he defends

Seamus snorts loudly and shakes his head.

"Fine? You're absolutely insane, Potter."

Before they can chatter anymore, they all hear the bellow of his name, announcing the arrival of McGonagall. Harry jumps and feels his heart drop to the pit of his stomach.

"HARRY POTTER! Never in- all my time at Hogwarts- How dare you- might have broken your neck- "

The other Gryffindors scramble to defend him, but Hermione and Ron stay quiet at his side, their touch a welcomed comfort amid McGonagall's words. Harry keeps his head lowered even when McGonagall orders him to follow her. She pointedly emphasises she wants to speak to him alone when Hermione and Ron take a step to follow. Harry looks to Ron and Hermione with panic and fear in his eyes, deeply regretting his actions now.

"It'll be okay," Ron says with absolute certainty.

"We'll wait for you outside the Great Hall before dinner," Hermione agrees.

"She's going to expel me! I'm never going to see you guys again," he anxiously cried.

Ron gripped his shoulder tight and forced him to meet his gaze.

"Oi, look at me. Listen. Whatever happens remember? I promised."

Harry's eyes widened at Ron's reminder about his promise before the sorting. He looks to Hermione and finds her wearing a similar look of determination.

"You got us," she confirms.

Harry exhales and tries to ignore the trembling of his hands as he turns to follow McGonagall. He's still nervous of what she's going to do to him. But his heart is no longer pounding wildly in his chest and the chill down his back is no longer cold. He's not afraid, not when he has Ron and Hermione's promise holding him together.

He swallows and forces his feet to continue walking forward, willing to accept whatever will be his fate.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

So, imagine his surprise, when McGonagall pulls Oliver out of his DADA class.

"Wood, I've found you a seeker," she proudly introduces.

Harry blinks in complete confusion then uncomfortably fidgets when Oliver's eyes roam him from head to toe. Oliver hums and mutters into his hand as he circles Harry before nodding decisively and looking to McGonagall with stars in his eyes.

"He's the perfect build, I've thought so before. Light, speedy, with a decent broom he could be a threat."

Harry clears his throat and tries not to shrink back when the two look to him.

"S-sorry but, what are you talking about? I'm perfect for what?"

Oliver looks rather crazy with that gleam in his eyes and Harry can't help but wish Percy were around to help keep his friend in check. He's suddenly reminded that Oliver was a Quidditch nutter and starts to suspect what might be happening. But that's impossible because first years never make the Quidditch team. He's heard all about it from Oliver himself.

"You have natural talent on a broom, Mister Potter. Your performance moments ago proves it, not even Charlie Weasley himself could have done such a thing. With training I'm certain you will only improve further. What I am offering you is an opportunity to bring further pride to our House."

Harry's eyes were practically bulging now, and he kept glancing from McGonagall to Oliver, certain this was the start up to a joke. The utter seriousness of McGonagall's expression and Oliver's starry-eyed plea told him otherwise.

"But I-I'm a first year! First years aren't allowed to owe broomsticks, Professor," he stammered.

Oliver snorted and Harry blushed when Professor McGonagall dryly hummed in response. Of course, she would know, she's a bloody Professor, he inwardly groaned. McGonagall's eyes gleamed momentarily before they settled into an expression of certainty.

"Leave that to me, I will speak to Dumbledore myself about the matter."

Oliver and Harry trade curious glances at that but McGonagall doesn't elaborate. Instead she officially offers Harry the position of Seeker and assures him the choice is his. Harry hesitates and avoids meeting Oliver's wide-eyed plea. He thinks hard about the offer but already knows what his answer will be.

"When do I start?" he grins, and Oliver jumps into the air with a fist pump.

McGonagall smiles at him and Harry feels his chest grow warm under her pleased praise.

"Your father would have been proud," McGonagall says, and Harry's heart momentarily stops.

He's not sure if he's breathing but somehow, he manages to choke out his words.

"He would?" he pleads, the desperation in his eyes plain for all to see.

McGonagall's eyes turn sad, but her nod is full of reassuring warmth.

"Most definitely. He was an excellent Quidditch player himself. For you to make the quidditch team in your first year? James Potter would have been crowing to the heavens. I am certain he is doing so now."

Harry tries not to let his tears fall, but it's hard. He'd never known his father had been on the Quidditch team. To suddenly know something so personal and defining of his father's character, Harry feels overwhelmed. It makes him feel the slightest bit closer to the parents he never got to know. Maybe McGonagall can tell as she softly offers him another opportunity.

"I have taught many students in my time, Mister Potter. And if it would interest you, my door will always be open should you seek counsel or a bit of tea. Now go along, I am certain Miss Granger and Mister Weasley anxiously await your return."

Harry nods, finding it hard to speak. He hesitates but decides to do it anyway. He lunges forward and hugs McGonagall tight before pulling away and making his escape. He runs with his heart feeling incredibly full for the first time in his life.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter: Midnight Duels and Friday Do-overs.**

Ron could feel Hermione's stare digging into the side of his face, but as he did most things, he ignored it. They could hear the noise of the other students settling for dinner. Everyone's chatter filtering through his ears with a buzzing hum. The rest of their Gryffindor year mates opted to save the trio a seat rather than wait. Ron couldn't help but wish Neville had at least stayed. If only so he could distract Hermione.

"What happened to you on the training grounds?" Hermione bluntly asked.

Ron looked over to her with a shrug while leaning back against the wall.

"Dunno, what you mean?"

The bushy haired girl let out a growl of frustration and stepped closer to him, glaring up at him with that death stare of hers. Ron wasn't in the slightest intimidated. He continued to appear unbothered and gave a short nod to one of the twins friends who watched as they passed. Hermione pointed her pencil in his face, her scowl fierce and stubborn. Ron looked down at the pencil with a sardonic smirk.

"Really, Hermione? What, you going to draw on my face or something?"

"Don't tempt me Weasley. Just answer the question. You were clutching at your chest like you were in pain or something!" she accused.

Ron tensed at her accusation and hoped she'd drop the subject. By the glint in her eyes, he knew she was both curious and concerned, but he didn't want to talk about it. He looked down at her with a glare of his own.

"It's nothing Hermione. Don't mention it," the ' _ever'_ was implied, but she got the message.

To her credit she backs off, but he's known Hermione long enough to figure her out. She's not likely to forget. He knows, by the way she continued to watch him, that her brain was coming up with theory after theory. He feels his scar faintly ache, as if fond, and sighs at the feeling. How would he even begin to explain it? No, it was better to ignore it for now. He'll tell them eventually, maybe… probably.

"Stop it. Your brain's so loud I think it's screaming," he grumbles.

He grins when her thinking face shifts into an annoyed sneer, which he considers to be her version of a pout.

"Prat," she huffs

"Psycho," he throws back.

Hermione snorts and irately responds back.

"Bloody Lavender needs to stop spreading that. I'm NOT a psycho."

Ron snickers and nudges her side playfully, earning himself another dull stare which amuses him even more.

"Just a weirdo, right?"

"An intellectual one," she corrects with a tiny smirk on her lips.

They share a bit of laughter only stopping when they hear someone make a noise of disgust. They look up only to see Malfoy and his new goons watching them. Ron rolls his eyes and scowls at the blond pest. For the most part, Malfoy was easy enough to ignore. But the boy was like an annoying fly constantly buzzing about the room. Eventually, you're going to have to deal with him.

"Keep moving, Malfoy," He dismisses.

Malfoy's cheeks flush pink and his eyes spark with rage. Ron can't help the smirk that forms on his lips at the blonds rage. Before either Zabini or Nott could stop him, Malfoy stomps over to them with a furious sneer.

"You think you're so cool, don't you Weasley! Just because your brother's a prefect and Potter constantly chases after you like a desperate mutt begging to be fed."

"Careful Malfoy, you sound rather jealous," Hermione drawls.

Malfoy turns his glare to her and sneers with pure disgust in his eyes. Ron's can't help but grudgingly acknowledge the blond was braver than he thought to go toe to toe with Hermione, that or suicidal.

"Was I talking to you beaver teeth?"

Hermione growled but Ron stopped her from lunging by grabbing her by the hand. She turned to him with an angry snarl, but he sternly shook his head.

"Don't. He's just trying to get a rise out of us. Don't give him what he wants," Ron lowly orders.

Hermione's jaw clenches but she does as he asks and takes a deep breath to calm down. Ron carefully moves so they have their backs to Malfoy, who's still watching them, his face turning a darker red the longer they ignore him. The red head can feel his lips twitching as the laugh in his chest continues to build.

Yeah, he knows _exactly_ how to deal with someone like Malfoy.

"Don't ignore me!" Malfoy shouts with a stomp of his foot.

He's loud enough to draw a bit of attention. Hermione peers over his shoulder at the blond, but Ron keeps his back to the boy.

He continues to ignore the blond, until Malfoy can't take it any longer.

"I'M TALKING TO YOU WEASLEY!"

Malfoy grabs at his arm to turn him but Hermione is quicker. She's got her wand out with her death stare at full force. Nott has his own wand pointed at Hermione and Zabini has a grip on Malfoy. But Ron's not worried, he looks behind Malfoy and Zabini and smiles.

"Alright Harry?" he greets.

"Great, you?" Harry returns but his wand is still pointed at Zabini and Malfoy.

Hermione rolls her eyes as they continue to casually chat despite the tension among their gathered group.

"Unless you wish to invite the attention of a Professor, I suggest we put our wands away," Zabini interrupts.

Ron shrugs but Harry snorts.

"Yeah right, like I'm going to trust Malfoy not to try something after earlier."

Harry turns his piercing stare onto a red-faced Malfoy and quirks his brow.

"You're certainly a lot braver here on the ground than in the air."

Malfoy makes a noise just short of a scream but Zabini interferes once again. Ron finds it kind of funny that he looks to him and not Hermione when he talks.

"We'll leave you be if this whole thing can go _ignored_."

The trio share glances all of them confused by the pointed phrase. It almost sounds as if Zabini is requesting they not tell someone. Ron wonders just who the snake thinks they'd go blabbing to and why it matters? He shares another pointed glance with Harry and Hermione and they slowly come to an agreement. None of them know what the snake is alluding to but, they're willing to ignore it if that's what it'll take to go to dinner.

"Sure…. We can ignore it. No need to go telling anybody," Ron slowly assures.

Harry and Hermione put their wands down at the same time as Nott. Malfoy turns his furious stare towards Zabini but the Italian boy silences him with a sharp glare.

"Appreciate it," Zabini thanks with a nod.

Its clear to all of them that Malfoy is not at all happy, but the Italian boy pushes him forward. The trio watch the snakes disappear into the great hall with considering eyes.

"Right, so that just happened," Harry mused with a grin.

"Ugh, between you and all of that, I'm definitely in need of food," Ron groaned before marching forward.

Harry made an offended noise but followed him due to Hermione's pushing.

"Me? What did I do?"

"What didn't you do, Potter," Hermione snorted.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Harry tells them everything during dinner, what he doesn't tell them, Oliver happily fills in.

"The youngest seeker in a century, unbelievable," Neville marvels.

Harry nods in complete agreement as he chews his chicken.

"It's ridiculous, not impressive," Hermione scoffs as she spoons more mash onto her plate.

Harry glares at her while Seamus eagerly tells the tale of their flying class to the rest of the Gryffindor table.

"…And Harry just swoops down! Going so fast he was literally just a blur to the eye!" the Irish lad enthusiastically boasts.

" I start training next week, though I think it's supposed to be a secret," Harry continues ignoring Hermione's unimpressed stare.

"Hah! Good luck with that. So long as Oliver's got that dopey grin on his face, there's no way it'll stay secret for long," Ron snickers.

Harry is mid laugh when he's surprised by the twin whispers on either side of his head.

"Heard the news, Potter," the twins greet.

Harry jumps and reflexively elbows his cup causing it to spill. Ron glares at his brothers from across the table while Neville grins with poorly hidden amusement.

"Well done, bit of an overachievement if you ask me," Fred starts with a casual shrug

"What with last Friday's excitement and now this," George continues.

Harry can't help but shrink a bit at the reminder. He's relieved the Weasley Twins weren't loud enough to remind anyone else. They then pat him on the back, jolting him forward with a grunt.

"Time will tell if you survive it," they ominously say with innocent grins.

"Get out of here already," Ron groans with a grumble.

The twins give a jaunty wave, but Fred eagerly shouts one last remark before they wander further down the table to their friends.

"You're playing with the big boys now, Potter."

Harry swallows, suddenly feeling rather apprehensive about playing on the Quidditch team. Maybe he was _too_ quick to accept the position?

"Uh oh…." Neville mumbles sounding sympathetic.

"What?" Harry quips not wanting any more bad news.

He follows Neville's line of sight and the trio immediately understand the round boy's mutter. Percy had only just arrived and by the stern expression he wears as he sharply exchanges words with Oliver, he was not pleased.

"Oh no, that's his disappointed face," Ron groans while ducking out of sight.

"Well it's not like he can ground us again," Hermione shrugs as she wryly watches Oliver and Percy chat.

Harry desperately nods in agreement with her, hoping Ron's words aren't worth the worry. By the dry stare he levels at both Harry and Hermione, he's not in the slightest reassured.

"Here he comes," Neville helpfully pointed out.

The trio stiffly look up at Percy who looms over them with a disappointed glare.

"Are the three of you trying to compete against the twins for most troublesome?"

Harry gives a sorry shrug and keeps his eyes on his plate; Hermione doesn't blink as she sips at her cup while Ron gives an apologetic smile. Percy's stare lingers on Ron for a few seconds before he heaves out a heavy sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose. Harry peeks through his bangs when Percy turns to him with a frown.

"McGonagall's word is law, but don't get too comfortable. Quidditch is a hazardous sport, Potter, and you risk more than just your pride if you lose."

Harry gulps at the warning but perks up when Hermione nudges him and Ron scoffs.

"He'll be fine, Perce. He's a natural now but imagine how he'll be when he's trained. Besides, Oliver will look out for him and the twins won't let him die."

Percy sighs again, muttering something under his breath that nobody caught. He lifts one finger and reminds them sternly.

"One more day. Don't give me a reason to ground you for a second week."

Having said that, the prefect then made his way to where Oliver was seated and watching with a hopeful smile. They watched the two boys share another few words before Oliver leapt out of his seat and smothered the prefect in a hug.

"Is Oliver…. Crying?" Hermione slowly questioned.

"Told you, complete quidditch nutter," Ron confirmed with a shake of his head.

Neville chuckles and turns to them with a dopey grin of his own.

"I think it's rather sweet."

"Ron… what did you mean I won't die?" Harry blurted, no longer feeling as excited.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

It happens on their way back from dinner.

Ron and Hermione were further ahead, bickering as usual over something unimportant. Harry and Neville took their time walking back to Gryffindor tower. Harry was not at all eager for the extra two hours of studying and Neville had eaten a bit too much desert. They must have lost sight of Ron and Hermione for a few seconds before Harry felt himself being dragged into a corner.

"Malfoy!" He growled at the blond.

Neville was fumbling to reach for his wand, but Malfoy had his wand trained on him in a blink.

"Save yourself the effort Longbottom. I have no interest in wasting anymore of my precious time with you two pathetic imbeciles."

Harry scoffed and tried to dislodge the blonds grip on his collar but remained unsuccessful. He hated being at a disadvantage and should have known better than to let his guard down. He wasn't afraid of Malfoy, but with Neville stuck under wand point, Harry knew to be careful.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry spat out with a growl.

Malfoy's glare was fierce, and Harry uncomfortably noticed that his eyes were a steel grey. The blond was obviously furious.

"Midnight. Tonight. You and Me in a Wizards duel. Wands only. No contact."

Neville's eyes widened at Malfoy's words.

"Harry don't-"

"Shut up!" Malfoy snapped while pushing his wand closer to Neville's face.

"Fine! You're on!" Harry impulsively agreed.

Malfoy smirked, looking cruel but satisfied.

"Good. I'll be sure to show you the true merits expected of a Wizard."

Harry snorts and takes the opportunity to finally free himself. He doesn't hesitate to retort back, glaring harshly. Neville wanders over to stand supportively behind Harry the second Malfoy lowers his wand.

"Sure, you do that. But don't go writing to Daddy after I beat you."

Malfoy's face flushes dark red again but Harry just smirks in return.

"Whatever scar head. Meet me in the trophy room, its always unlocked."

Malfoy then turns his eye to Neville and gives a disgusted grunt.

"And if you bring a second, at least choose someone not as useless as Longbottom."

Harry grins sharply and confirms he'll meet him then.

Neither Harry nor Neville relax until the blond is completely out of sight. Only then does Neville turn to him with his eyes wide and his skin pale. Clearly, the round boy was on the verge of freaking out. Harry quickly turned to Neville and started hushing him as he rapidly started to breathe.

"What are you going to do?"

"It'll be fine Nev, I know what I'm doing," Harry quickly assured.

"Know what you're doing? Do you even know what a Wizards duel is?" Neville stressed.

Harry shrugged not feeling too panicked about the subject.

"Dunno, a fight or something."

Neville let out a trembling laugh but doesn't look the slightest bit amused.

"You're joking. He's joking. Harry! This isn't something to joke about!"

When Harry tries to get Neville to loosen up by grinning sheepishly, Neville stares at him, blinks then turns to walk away.

"Neville wait, Hey? Where are you going?" Harry sighs.

"I'm telling Ron!" Neville bites back.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

To Neville's credit, he at least waits until after study club to spill the beans. They're gathered in the boys dorm when the round boy delivers the news. To which, Harry can't help but be relieved by because he'd been unbearably allusive all throughout study. Harry knows he bruised Neville's shin from the amount of times he kicked him. The last thing he needed was Neville blurting everything out in front of Percy.

Nobody moves after Neville's shouted bit of news.

To the shock of everyone, Ron doesn't respond the way they expected him to.

The tall red head throws his head back and laughs himself silly. He laughs so hard he grips at his belly and falls back on his bed.

"Ron…" Harry sighs when the boy's laugh doesn't seem to stop.

"W-what? What else do you expect me to do?" Ron counters with a shrug as he calms down.

"Are you seriously going to battle Malfoy in a Wizards duel?" Seamus pipes looking rather curious.

Harry shrugs while Neville continues to do a scary impression of Percy.

"I guess? I mean I wasn't going to back down when he offered. Ron can be my second since Neville refused to do it."

Neville is shaking his head as he settles next to Dean.

"He's crazy! This is insane!" he listlessly repeats accepting Dean's comforting pat.

"Harry… Wizards duel to the death…." Seamus slowly elaborates.

Harry blinks and starts to understand Neville's reaction a little bit more. He turns to Ron who's looking rather comfortable on his bed as he watches everyone with amusement. The red head smirks at him as if Harry's done something funny.

"Merlin, you really don't make life easy for yourself," the red head comments, confirming Seamus's words.

Harry's heart drops to his stomach, suddenly realising he might have bit off more than he could chew. It must have shown on his face as Ron snorts and continues to speak.

"Relax Harry. You'll be fine because we're not going to turn up."

"What?" everyone blurts in shock.

Ron looks at them as if their the crazy ones.

"We're grounded, remember? Midnight is long after curfew and you've already tested Percy a bit after today's flying. Don't try to push your luck."

"Can you do that? Just, not turn up?" Dean asks

"I guess?" Neville answers looking thoughtful.

Harry is too busy gaping at Ron to pay them any mind. He hurries over to Ron's bed and looks at his friend with wide eyes of disbelief.

"But we can't just not go!" he insists.

Ron stares at him drolly and slowly gives his answer.

"Yes Harry, we can."

"But we're Gryffindors! If we don't show up than we might as well call ourselves cowards!"

Ron frowns and sits up, looking a little more serious.

"No, it makes us sensible. Just because someone dares you to do something stupid, doesn't mean you have to do it. Honestly, Harry, is Malfoy worth the risk of an extra week of punishment? You just got put on the Quidditch team and are going to start training next week. Weren't you the one complaining just this morning about studying so much?"

Harry frowns and grudgingly nods, knowing Ron is speaking sense. By the amused glint in his eyes, he knows it too.

"Now, imagine extra studies with the bonus of Quidditch training with Oliver. Are you _that_ confident you'll survive it all?"

Harry slumps with defeat, knowing Ron is completely right.

"But… it's Malfoy! He's so… He's just so annoying."

Ron scoffs and reaches for his Quidditch mag and gives a sympathetic nod.

"I know, but if you let him get to you, we're probably going to see even more of him. He's just an attention seeking spoiled brat."

Harry sighs and settles more comfortably on Ron's bed, giving up on the subject.

"Fine, we won't go."

Ron nods with satisfaction and then whacks Harry with the magazine with a pointed stare.

"Good. Now here, let's get you educated on what you need to know about Quidditch."

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Down in the dungeons, a group of Slytherin first years are having a meeting of their own.

"You did what?" Blaise slowly gritted through his teeth.

Draco flushed pink as everyone stared at him looking completely gobsmacked.

"Tell me your joking! Please Merlin, say you're just pulling my leg!" Theo pleads as he shakes his head with horror.

Draco continues to keep his silence which proves just how guilty he is. Pansy let out a distressed cry as she falls back into Millicent's arms. Greg and Vincent slow their munching in favour of gaping at him. But Draco avoids looking at Blaise knowing the Italian boy was glaring holes into his head.

"What part of 'stay clear of Potter' did you not understand at dinner?" Blaise growls

Draco scowls and unapologetically lifts his head with a stubborn glare.

"I don't take orders from you Zabini," he sneered.

Theo snorts and shakes his head.

"Well maybe if you did, you wouldn't have done something so completely reckless!"

Draco turns his glare on him instead at inadvertently being described as something Gryffindors had a reputation of being. Millicent helpfully adds her own opinion to the unwanted topic.

"He's not wrong. You completely lose all sense of dignity when you face Potter or Weasley."

Draco sneers and shoots back a reply of his own.

"As if you wouldn't hesitate to go toe to toe with the mudblood when given the opportunity."

To his annoyance, Millicent snorts and sardonically considers him with an arched brow.

"But I'm not the one who goes preaching for all to hear about how great I think I am."

Draco growls but Blaise speaks up again with another one of his warning lectures.

"Enough! We must keep this from reaching Drake, Farley, or Flint. If word gets back to them were bound to feel the repercussions."

Draco clenches his jaw but doesn't disagree. He knew better than to push his luck after flying and now this. Blaise was right to be frustrated but Draco would rather die than admit such a thing. He couldn't help it though, not after Weasley had so blatantly ignored him. As if he, a fucking Weasel, was better than him. Then Potter, with his arrogant smirk and mocking smile. just pushed him over the edge.

"You need to work on that temper of yours, Malfoy," Theo casually added.

"Shut up, Nott!" he snapped back.

"But you're not actually going to turn up, are you?" Pansy pushed looking rightly concerned.

Draco levelled an insulted glare her way, but she unabashedly waited for him to answer.

"Knowing Potter, he's most likely chosen Weasley as his second," Blaise absently mused.

"Potter and Weasley aren't too far behind the mudblood when it comes to class rankings," Millicent added.

"Weasley's no dummy. Greg and I saw him ace Flitwick's task yesterday while casually chatting with Brown," Vincent contributed.

Crabbe and Goyle turned playing stupid into an artform, the two were scarily observant with the right kind of motivation. Pansy hummed thoughtfully and shared a look with Blaise.

"If you're going, you need to take Theo with you." she concluded.

Blaise nodded and Theo sighed heavily while accepting his fate. Out of all of them, Theo was their most experienced dueller with a quick wand draw. He might not know as many spells as Blaise, Pansy and Millicent, but his reflexes were sharp.

"So, we're doing this. Great. Thanks a lot Malfoy," he grumbled.

Draco snarled finally finding his voice while the others continued to discuss the duel.

"Shut up Nott! Bloody hell Pansy, of course I'm not going to go. How much of a bloody Gryffindor idiot do you people think I am?" he snapped.

Theo snorted and mockingly teased him with a sardonic drawl.

"There's that temper of yours again, Malfoy."

"Still enough of a priss to put Pansy to shame," Millicent snickered causing Pansy to smirk, further sparking Draco's temper.

"I admit I lost my sense for a bit, but I'm not stupid enough to go against Drake or Flint," he growled indignantly.

The others share wary looks feeling apprehensive at the mentioned names.

They were Slytherins but House Slytherin was nothing like their parents said it would be. Being in the snake pit was a game of survival, and to their misfortune, they were the most vulnerable of the lot. None of them could stop themselves from imagining the worst upon worst possibilities if one of the older snakes overheard their talk.

Corvus Drake's threatening speech on their first night still haunted their memories.

Also, Flint and Farley had made it clear they were to keep their distance with the Gryffindors. Something about keeping things fair.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. I'm not going and if Potter's gonna risk breaking curfew it'll be on his own head," Draco repeats.

They share slow nods and mutually decide to forget the conversation ever happened.

"I'll keep a close ear on things and make sure nothing gets back to Farley or Flint," Pansy confirms.

Draco slumps relieved the topic was over. Though they discussed other things and eventually went their separate ways for bed, Draco couldn't stop wondering if Potter was waiting for him in the trophy room. He fell asleep feeling oddly discomforted about how much he cared.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Harry tossed and turned unable to forget about Malfoy. He could hear the other boys sleeping comfortably and felt rather annoyed at their ease. He sat up and looked over to Ron's bed, only to find the boy snoring away without care. Carefully, Harry pulled back his blanket and tip toed towards the door. He checked on Ron once more, before sneaking down the stairs.

He fingered his wand, nervous but determined.

He was only going to check and see if Malfoy turned up or not. Nothing else. He'd stay hidden and nobody will need to know. Harry had just stepped into the Common room when he gets the greatest shock of his life.

"Harry? What are you doing?" Percy questions with an intrigued quirk of his brow.

Harry swallows and stammers to answer the question.

"U-um I was just… I um couldn't sleep. What are you doing here?"

Percy looked amused by his words and Harry fought to keep his blush from being to obvious. Percy motioned to the scattered books and parchment around him.

"A bit of revision for my own classes."

Harry couldn't help but curiously wander closer. He blinked at the complicated looking scrawls and drawings with little idea as to what he was looking at. Percy chuckled and turned the page of his textbook.

"Rest assured, you'll have no need to worry about any of this for a long while."

Harry gives a half smile and awkwardly shuffles for a few seconds more.

"Well, I guess I should leave you to it. I'm going to go try sleeping again."

Percy hums, still looking rather amused and bids him goodnight.

Harry tries not to stomp his way back to the dorms. When he enters the dorms and flops back into bed he turns over and finds Ron awake and smirking at him.

"You just couldn't help yourself, could you mate?" he teases.

"Shut up, Ron," Harry groans and stuffs his head under his pillow.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Come next morning, Harry was once again feeling rather sulky.

How could he not when the first thing Hermione says when she sees him is "Heard you got caught trying to sneak out."

Ron immediately started to snicker while Neville grinned. Harry glared at the two boys irately until they denied spreading the word.

"Well if you didn't tell her who did?" Harry demanded.

"Dean saw you sneak out and told Seamus who told Lavender who then shared it with Parvati and I after we'd finished brushing our teeth," Hermione grinned.

He looked incredulously over to the chirpy Irish boy walking alongside Dean. He then turned to Ron and Neville motioning towards the boy with disbelief.

"How? How did he even- just HOW!?"

Ron snickered and pushed him forward with a teasing smirk.

"It's Seamus, Harry, we'll never know. Now come on mate, breakfast is calling."

"Do you ever think about something other than your stomach?" Hermione started.

Ron boyishly smirked her way and started their usual morning bickering. Neville grinned as he tugged Harry along behind the two while Harry continued to sulk.

"I'm not sulking, Nev!" he protested.

"Of course not, Harry," Neville assured but the glint in his eyes proved how much fun he was having.

They were well settled and midway through their breakfast routine when Malfoy walked into the room. Harry couldn't help but notice the blond and Ron, Hermione and Neville followed his stare. Malfoy must have been looking too as he momentarily stopped once he spotted them. Then the blond smirked obnoxiously, and Harry wished he could hex the bloody ponce.

"Good thing we didn't waste our time then," Ron muttered as he turned back to his letter from Ginny.

Hermione hummed and stabbed at her eggs with a thoughtful grin.

"I'm sure if you told Percy you were just sneaking out to meet up with a boy at midnight, he would have been a little more understanding."

Neville snorted into his juice and Ron barked out a short laugh as Harry blushed. He leaned forward and hissed at the cheeky girl with a snarl.

"Real funny, how's the juice by the way? I forget, is it as bitter as your soul?"

Hermione growls at his reminder of her lack of coffee. She points her fork in his direction and lowly hissed.

"I'll slow roast you over a fire pit, Potter," she threatened.

"Great, now I want pork. Do you think they'll offer it for Lunch, or will I have to wait for dinner?" Ron mused.

Neville shook his head as the three continued to bicker and tease one another. He'd grown to appreciate the free morning entertainment. They startle when a bunch of owls fly through with a huge package, coming towards their section of the table. Of course, Seamus gets everyone's attention by loudly pointing at it.

"Look over there? What'd you think it is?" he pestered.

"Gee, I wonder…" Harry muttered sarcastically.

They could all make out the shape of the package which was clearly a broomstick.

"So much for keeping it a secret," Hermione scoffed.

Ron hummed in agreement and looked over to where Percy and Oliver ate. The two looked to be having a profoundly serious conversation, especially for so early in the morning.

"Do you think McGonagall did it on purpose?" Neville idly wondered as he was watching the teachers table.

They all looked at the teachers table and saw their House head sip at her cuppa looking completely unphased. Snape on the other hand looked like he was sucking on a lemon. In complete contrast, Flitwick and Sprout looked incredibly cheery as they clinked cups.

"The sad part is we'll never know," Ron sighed.

"Well, it's Friday and I don't think I need to remind the three of you of what we have first," Hermione reminded them with a pointed stare.

Harry groaned and wondered if it was too late to try drowning himself in his cereal. Even Neville suddenly looked rather sick. Ron directed an irritated glare Hermione's way and elbowed Harry out of his slump.

"Don't sweat it, guys, come on. Percy's been working with us all week. We also have Hermione who made all of us skim through 'Advanced Potions' at least once."

Harry nodded feeling a little surer and turned to Neville with a determined nod.

"Ron's right. We've totally got this."

Neville nodded but it was clear by the panic in his eyes that he greatly doubted Harry's words.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

Yet, despite their preparation and worst imaginings, Potions went nothing like they expected. The first years entered the classroom in a silent march, not daring to say a word. They settled into their seats and stiffly waited for Snape to call the registry. The greasy haired professor did exactly that and nothing more.

"What do you think he's playing at?" Ron suspiciously muttered to Neville.

But Neville was too stiff to reply, he didn't want to try his luck and be the one to set Snape off.

"You will pair up and begin preparation," Snape instructed.

He didn't address anyone directly; he didn't ask a single question and he most certainly didn't look at Harry Potter even once. Potions, to Harry's disbelief and Neville's utter joy, passed with little to no drama at all.

"Ron, did you see? I didn't mess up anything at least once, today!" Neville excitedly gushed to the tall red head.

Ron grinned and pat Neville's back in congratulations.

"Proud of you mate. Just you wait, by the end of this year, you'll be ace at this too," Ron assured causing Neville to beam at him.

Seamus joined them by jumping Neville from behind with a hug. Dean followed him with an embarrassed shake of his head.

"And I didn't set fire to Dean this time! I'm improving too, right Ron?" the Irish boy chirped.

Ron gave a slow nod feeling confused by Seamus' manic energy while Neville weakly begged him to loosen his grip. Dean covered his face and turned to the giggly Lavender and Parvati looking pained.

"Has he no dignity?" he questioned.

"Shameless Seamus strikes again," Parvati smirked causing Lavender to give a proper laugh.

Ron noticed that Harry and Hermione were walking rather slowly and falling behind. He stopped and turned to them with a furrowed brow and confused frown.

"Oi? Are you two pretending to be snails or something?"

The first sign that his two friends were going to say something exhausting was by the glint in Harry's eyes and Hermione's jaw. The second, more important sign Ron should have noticed, was Harry's angry scowl. The third sign was when Harry opened his mouth to speak.

"He didn't even look at me! Not once," the green-eyed boy exclaimed while throwing his hands in the air.

The other first year Gryffindors exchanged glances behind Ron's back. Clearly this was going to be another one of _those_ conversations between the trio.

"You saw, didn't you? He skipped my name on the registry and pretended I didn't even exist!"

Ron sighed and did a marvellous impression of Percy before replying to Harry's frustrated rant.

"That's a good thing, innit? The less attention he gives you the less chances we'll have a repeat of last Friday," Ron reasoned.

But Harry glared up at the taller boy with that poisoning green stare of his. The other Gryffindor's warily stepped closer behind Ron. Who knew Harry Potter had a death stare as lethal as Hermione Granger? Ron seemed completely unphased by Harry's stare and patiently waited for him to finish getting his feelings off his chest.

"I didn't study and read Advanced Potions with Hermione _and_ Percy, for him to just-just IGNORE all my effort, Ron!"

Ron nodded agreeably knowing Harry was not in the slightest done. At some point during his angry ranting, Harry had begun to pace, and they all watched the boy-who-lived, express himself through what could only be described as angry stomping.

"…And that hooked nosed, greasy haired batman twirling git is going to look me dead in the eye and congratulate me! At the end of this year, I'll force him to have at least once say the words 'Impressive, Potter'."

By this point, Ron was not the only one with his eyebrows raised rather high at Harry's incredibly ambitious goals. Lavender couldn't help herself; she blurted her comment after ensuring she was still safely behind Ron.

"Merlin, Potter, will you make him beg on his knees and name you supreme emperor or some other too?"

Ron, Seamus, and Neville snorted out a laugh and Harry turned his glare on her with an indignant huff.

"I'm serious! If he thinks I'm going to just let him pretend I don't exist for the rest of my Hogwarts years, he's got another thing coming. I'll become a Potions Master myself and steal his job if I have to," Harry insisted.

Lavender rolled her eyes, no longer feeling as intimidated now that the worst of Harry's rant had passed. Honestly, and he wondered why they called him dramatic? Harry Potter was just too easy to tease, she sometimes struggled to remember he was some great big hero and not just a dork.

Ron looked over to the suspiciously quiet Hermione behind Harry. She was still standing rather tensely with her death stare at full force and her hair frizzy.

"What about you Hermione? You're awfully quiet back there," he prompts.

Hermione looks up at him, glowering darkly as she lowly uttered her reply.

"I had a _question_ … I raised my hand because I had a question… he _ignored_ the fact I had a _question_ Ron!"

Harry looked entirely too encouraging as Hermione took her turn to rant. Their fellow Gryffindors cringed as they watched the two validate one another's feelings and fuel each other's angry annoyance.

"Goodness, they're a terrible influence on each other," Dean muttered with a shake of his head.

Ron and the others all nodded in complete agreement, until Parvati thoughtfully commented gaining everyone's attention.

"I think he ignored Hermione because she was partnered with Harry."

Hermione immediately stopped ranting and straightened immediately with a look of realization. Harry was still frowning but Ron just looked like he was thinking about food again. Completely understandable as they'd been stuck in the corridors for almost more than five minutes now.

"Of course! Parvati's right. So long as I'm partnered with Harry, Snape is going to continue to ignore me. The solution is obvious then."

She then turned to Ron with a determined stance and practically demanded he be her partner instead.

"What? Hermione!" Harry shouted with betrayal, but it was drowned out by a surprising shout from Neville.

"Absolutely NOT happening Granger!" the usually timid boy refused.

Everyone blinked in shock as Neville all but grabbed Ron's arm rather possessively and held him far away from Harry and Hermione. Parvati and Lavender gave sharp gasps of entertained pleasure while Dean raised his brows, impressed by the sudden turn of events. Seamus even let out a whistle as he admiringly watched Neville stand his ground.

"Why not? You've already partnered with him twice Neville, and you did fine today," Hermione pointed out.

"And why can't I partner with Ron?" Harry adds.

Ron dryly looks between his friends with an exasperated sigh. He's suddenly reminded of the time Ginny and the twins did something similar when they were younger, all because they insisted, they needed Ron's help for two different things.

"At least the twins fed me while they argued it out…" he grumbled as he felt his belly rumble.

Neville glared at Harry and Hermione, not loosening his grip on Ron for a second.

"I did fine today because I _know_ how to work with Ron and am used to sharing a potions table with him. Snape's not that scary when Ron's helping me."

Ron feels his ears grow hot with embarrassment as Lavender grins teasingly at him from her place beside Parvati. He has no idea how a conversation about Snape had suddenly turned into a fight over having him as a potions partner.

"If you two need Snape to give you verbal praise or want to be Potion Master's or whatever, that's your own problem. I'm just looking to do the best I can and Ron's way of doing things works for me. Isn't it enough that Snape's not bullying us anymore? Why can't you just be satisfied with that?"

Everyone looked at Hermione and Harry who had fallen strangely silent at Neville's question.

It is in this sense, the two didn't feel the others would understand. Hermione, a child genius, who spent majority of her younger years fighting to certify her intelligence to condescending adults; Harry, an orphan neglected by his guardians, constantly fighting to validate his existence. They didn't come from big families nor did they grow up in a world full of magic. They share an uncomfortable glance with one another, knowing the others will not understand their reasons. Not really.

"You're right," Harry solemnly says with an apologetic smile.

"We're sorry Neville, for getting so caught up in the moment. Of course, you're Ron's partner," Hermione sighs and nods in agreement.

Neville refrains from rolling his eyes at her words. Why did she say it like it was ever in doubt? Sometimes, Neville really couldn't help but wonder how Ron survived being friends with two dramatic berks like Hermione and Harry. This one conversation had completely exhausted him.

Ron snorts and finally speaks up now that everyone had had their go of ranting.

"For the record, if anyone would be interested to know, I wasn't going to swap partners anyway."

Neville grinned as Hermione glared and Harry huffed. Ron shook his head at his two friends and dryly continued as he slung his arm over Neville's shoulder.

"When it comes to potions, Nev and I are a great team. No way would I survive being partnered with either one of you."

"What do you mean?" Harry protested with an offended gape.

"Hermione's obsessed with control over everything! I saw her re-chop your snakeskin because it was a millimetre too long. And Harry, mate, if Hermione didn't have eyes on the back of her head you would have dumped who knows what into today's potion."

Ron barked out another laugh and shook his head as he started to lead the way to great hall.

"Hell, yeah I'm partnering with Nev. He at least won't have me challenging Dumbledore for best head of white hair at the end of the year."

The trio eventually ended up in another one of their bickering bantering, leaving the rest of their housemates to follow behind them. Neville walked with a rather giddy spring to his step earning more than a few amused glances from Lavender, Parvati, and Dean.

"You look awfully pleased with yourself," Lavender leadingly whispered in Neville's ear.

"Of course, I am! Gran's gonna be so unbelievably pleased with me at the end of the year. Potions might even become my favourite subject if every class goes exactly like today did," he explained.

Lavender and Parvati hummed in unison before dissolving into whispers and giggling chatter. Neville was surprised again by Seamus who jumped him into a hug from behind. Neville yelped at the rough treatment before Seamus had cupped his face with both hands and stared him dead in the eye.

"That was brave of you, Nev, truly Gryffindor of you. Percy will be proud when I tell him, but on a serious note…"

Neville blinked as Dean watched warily from behind him.

"I know you won't trade with Granger or Potter, but what about with me? I can give you Dean. He's clean, independent and knows how to feed himself. He can take instruction too."

"Oh, for goodness sake, Seamus!" Dean groaned.

Neville laughed and shook his head, but Seamus wasn't done.

"Wait, Wait! I haven't even gotten to the best part about him!"

Dean and Neville waited for him to continue, and Seamus released Neville in favour of patting Dean's shoulder.

"Dean is completely Flame resistant! The amount of times I almost lit this lad on fire is- OMPH!"

Dean huffed as Seamus clutched at his stomach with a groan from his punch. He then took Neville by his robes and led him to the Gryffindor table.

"Don't know if you've heard Nev, but as of right now, I'm in need of a new best mate. Interested?"

Neville grinned and jokingly nodded.

"Sure, never had an official one before."

They left Seamus groaning out Dean's name and happily dug into some tuna sandwiches.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

The trio's last day of punishment proved to be completely drama free. By dinner, Ron was starting to think he could really come to love Hogwarts if this were all the excitement he would have. It was different to the Burrow, still busy and crowded, still full of rules and expectations. But Ron had friends here and bigger challenges that he didn't necessarily experience back at home. He felt, dare he say it, rather content and no longer as grumpy.

"Harry!" Oliver called with a large grin on his face.

The trio looked up at his call, pausing momentarily mid dinner with caution.

"We seriously didn't do anything today, honest," Harry immediately defended.

Oliver looked amused while Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered unfavourable things about Harry's terrible acting skills.

"Relax Potter, I'm not Percy. Besides, what kind of a Captain would I be if I let you get punished again after you've just gained your freedom."

"A responsible one, I would hope," Hermione muttered, but was ignored.

Ron looked around the tables with a furrowed brow, noticing something that didn't sit right with him. He was only half listening as Oliver continued to talk to Harry.

"Anyway, I want you to meet me at seven over at the Quidditch pitch. I want to get a head start on training you as soon as possible. We're a bit behind as Try outs were on Monday and the other teams already got a start on breaking in their newbies. But, before I get you facing the rest of our team, I need to make sure you can dodge. Fred & George showed me a few new moves they'd been practising. I need to be sure you won't lose your head, or worse."

Harry gulped and looked over to where Fred & George sat, laughing loudly with their mates. Fred's ominous words from yesterday sparking to life in his mind once more.

Hermione however jolted forward with demanding persistence.

"Seven? Tonight! But what about study group?" she pressed.

Oliver shook his head before giving his reply, looking a little too casual and unbothered in Ron's opinion.

"Percy's busy tonight and none of you are grounded. If you still want to make it a thing, you'll just have to do it without him some nights."

"Where is Percy anyway? How come he's not the one telling us all this?" Ron just as 'casually' asked.

Oliver shrugged making obvious motions to leave.

"You know your brother, always busy with something. I'll see you at seven Potter."

Ron tried not to think of Oliver's retreat as 'running away' but that's exactly what it seemed like. Hermione and Harry had also noticed his change in mood and nudged him from under the table. He looked to them and did his best to show it wasn't anything big, just some thoughts. Though they dropped it for the moment, Ron knew it was just another thing added to their list of 'not forgotten'.

Ron looked about the great hall, wondering if he'll see Percy at any point and time.

By Seven, when he and Hermione walked Harry to the Quidditch pitch, Ron still hadn't seen any sign of his Older brother.

He tried not to let his worry and paranoid thoughts consume him. This was Percy after all, and Percy could handle himself on his own without help. Ron knew that for certain.

But…

Bill's lecture to Ron and the twins about looking out for one another still weighed on the eleven-year old's mind. One they took seriously after what happened to Charlie when Bill was a prefect.

Ron shook his head, pushing back his worries with a stubborn shove. He'll find Fred and George later and see if they'd noticed Percy during or after dinner. For now, he and Hermione watched Harry swoop around in the air and catch golf balls.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter ends in a cliff hanger and is longer than usual. Read at own risk :)

** Chapter: Trolls on Halloween. **

Ron had been acting rather strange this morning. He woke them up and hurried them all to get ready and wait for the girls. None of them had been particularly bothered. They shamelessly enjoyed Ron’s fussing as it reminded them a bit of home.

“Acts a bit like a mother hen, doesn’t he?” Dean commented as they watched Ron scold Seamus for misplacing his sock while he helped Neville straighten his tie.

“Reminds me of Percy,” Harry had shrugged, and the two boys shared a rare laugh between them without awkwardness.

“Oi, why are you two standing there laughing for? Have you got your books?” Ron snarled at them with a glare.

Harry and Dean grinned and responded in unison, “Yes, Ron”.

Ron eyed them suspiciously but decided to ignore their strange behaviour. He ushered the boys downstairs and sternly told them they’ll be waiting for the girls before going to breakfast.

“But why are we waiting? Can’t they just meet us at breakfast as usual? What’s with you today?” Dean asked.

Ron frowned as he continued to eye their surroundings warily.

“It’s Halloween, yeah? I want us to stick together today. You know, spend the day together and have some fun. Halloween is an important day in the Wizarding world,” he explained.

Neville figured it out first, Dean soon after. Seamus hadn’t noticed as he was enjoying his dozing position on Ron’s shoulder. Only Harry remained out of the loop. Neither boy wished to remind him of what he’d lost one tragic Halloween eve.

“Of course, something to do with Samhain, right?” Harry piped in.

Ron, Neville, and Seamus looked to him with surprise, while Dean appeared confused.

“Samhain? Do Wizards and Witches seriously celebrate that?” he asked.

“I thought Hermione was the muggle nerd?” Seamus blurted; Neville elbowed him hard before answering Dean’s question.

“It depends, some families still celebrate according to the old traditions, some prefer a quieter more private celebration. Not a lot of families still practice the old rites. They prefer the muggle traditions instead. We’ve adopted more of the muggle Halloween traditions at Hogwarts since Dumbledore’s been Headmaster.”

Dean noticed neither Neville nor Ron mentioned their families preference. He had a feeling it would be rude to ask.

“How’d you know about Samhain, Harry?” Ron prompted with interest.

Harry grinned and cheekily responded looking smug.

“I did a bit of research after my letter came of course.”

“Uh huh….” Ron scoffed with a disbelieving arch of his brow. 

Harry sighed and begrudgingly admitted that Hermione had gone on a rant about Samhain the week before.

“But I _did_ do some research after my letter came!” he insisted.

Ron snickered before turning to Dean with a reassuring grin.

“Don’t get too nervous or anything. We’ll just be having a great feast where Dumbledore will give a speech. Same as every year according to my brothers. Although the school ghosts might be a little more active than usual, being dead and all.”

“The barrier between the living and dead is weaker during Samhain.” Neville added.

“Ugh, and we have History of Magic today too!” Seamus whined.

The boys all gave collective groans of dread just as Hermione joined them. The bushy haired girl looked harried as she eyed them over impatiently.

“Good, you waited,” she praised.

“Yeah, Ron had us up and going pretty early,” Dean explained.

Hermione turned a sharp stare towards the tall red head, and he shrugged. Neville noticed their silent communication while Harry was distracted by Seamus. He thought Harry to be lucky to have Ron and Hermione in his life. The rather plump boy doubted anyone could bother Harry about his parents today.

“Hermione, do you know how much longer Parvati and Lavender are going to be? I want to see if there’ll be anything special for breakfast, since its Halloween.” Harry huffed as he continued to poke at Seamus’ cheek.

Hermione glared at the staircase leading towards the girls dorms.

“It’s Lavender. She’s still in the bloody bathroom,” she growled with a glare.

The boys watched as she stomped back up the stairs. Dean shuffled uncomfortably, warily commenting on Hermione’s rather abrupt manner.

“What’s with her?”

Neville shrugged in response, but they were distracted by Seamus’ loud whine and Ron’s stern scolding.

“Ron, he keeps poking me!”

“Harry, leave him.”

“But why does he get to sleep a little more when the rest of us can’t!” Harry argued.

Dean groaned and covered his face from embarrassment. Seamus poked his tongue out at Harry, while Neville kindly offered Harry his shoulder to doze on.

**~(*)\\(*)/(*)~**

To Lavender’s utter dismay, Halloween began with the unwanted muttering of Hermione Granger. The bushy haired girl was up annoyingly early and was once again muttering like a crazed hedge witch. She tossed and turned, doing her best to fall back to sleep but Hermione was far too loud.

“Will you shut it, Granger! For Merlin’s sake it’s too bloody early for your psychopathic tendencies!” she snarled.

To her great irritation, Hermione didn’t seem to hear her at all. Lavender shared a distressed glance with Parvati, both frustrated with their dormmate, but aware there would be no sleeping in this morning. Lavender shoved her blanket back with an angry huff and stomped about the dorm to get ready. She purposely slammed things about and ‘accidently’ tipped over one of Hermione’s book towers. She hoped the muttering girl would notice and confront her but had no such luck. Hermione was too immersed in her head like the psycho Lavender knew her to be.

“Lavender, please just leave it. It’s much too early for a fight.” Parvati groaned as she brushed through her bed messed hair.

Lavender’s mood worsened, but for her best friends sake, she listened. This wouldn’t be the first morning the girls were woken by Hermione’s muttering, but the difference this time was Lavender’s unfortunate luck.

“Shit,” she hissed as she changed out of her night wear.

The blood stains on her pants mocked her and her stomach twisted with dread or as most women would call it, cramps. She’d forgotten to keep track of her cycle and something told her this would be much worse than the last time. Lavender suddenly felt angry as she brushed her teeth. Logically, she knew it was hormones, as her mother had explained it all. Irrationally, Lavender was convinced it was Granger’s fault.

“The bloody nutter probably cursed me as I slept…” she grumbled as she finished her morning routine.

She attempted a smile at her reflection, trying to cheer herself up, but she saw a red spot on her chin. It was barely visible and could easily be covered with a bit of powder or spell her mother taught her. But Lavender would know it was there and it bothered her.

“And it’s on my chin! I can’t even cover it with my hair!” she stressed.

She fingered the ends of her pigtails and thought her usually soft locks felt rather greasy. She wet it and dried it with a quick wave of her wand only to think it felt too dry. Lavender felt her frustration build as she stared at her reflection.

“I look utterly horrible,” she couldn’t help but cry.

“Lavender? Are you done?” Parvati checked.

“I-I’m- Yes. I’ll be right out,” she hastily replied.

Lavender slapped her cheeks twice, straightened her uniform and told herself she’ll get through the day.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Lavender. This is normal, utterly and completely normal for a young woman,” she scolded her reflection.

Feeling a little more confident, she twisted the knob and stepped out of the bathroom. Parvati was waiting with a sweet smile and Lavender relaxed giving a smile of her own.

“Finally, took you long enough! The boys are already waiting for us in the common room.”

Lavender’s smile dropped at Hermione’s words. The twist in her stomach this time was stronger than before, and she glared angrily at the other girl.

“Well, no one asked you to wait, Granger,” she snapped.

Hermione didn’t look bothered in the slightest. The girl levelled one of her death stares at Lavender and tersely told her to hurry up once again before leaving the room. Lavender clenched her fists and trembled were she stood as a torrent of cruel thoughts flashed through her mind about the bushy haired girl.

“Lav? Are you feeling okay today?” Parvati softly questioned with a frown.

“She just makes me so mad you know. What, with her bossy know it all attitude. Who named her the Queen of England? I sure as hell didn’t.”

Parvati let out a short giggle and shook her head.

“I think you just need a bit of breakfast to cheer you up. Come on, let’s go down before Seamus causes a scene.”

As they joined the rest of their Gryffindor year mates, they were surprised to find a few of the boys looking just as exhausted.

“Oh good, now we can get a move on to breakfast,” Harry sighed with relief.

“You didn’t have to wait for us,” Parvati frowned.

“Ron wanted us to, he wants us to stick together today,” Neville explained with a meaningful nod towards Harry.

Lavender looked at the tall red head who was arguing with Hermione while Seamus pretended to be falling asleep on his shoulder. She could understand why Harry would be excited. The weird trio hadn’t been able to spend as much time with one another for the past few weeks.

Hermione had been on a war path with her library petition. Thank Merlin, she’d gotten her way. Lavender would have murdered her if she had to sleep through another one of the girl’s late-night research benders. Harry had become a sleepy zombie thanks to Oliver’s killer training schedule and his ambitious goals to overthrow Snape as a Potions master. Then there was Ron, who’d been acting rather strange, seemingly in a rush to be other places. They’d been a little concerned but opted out of confronting the red head after hearing him argue with his brothers. It was probably a family thing, therefore, none of their business. 

They watched Harry casually jostle Seamus off Ron’s shoulder, while Hermione and Ron snapped at one another, feeling amused. Yes, the weird trio were a tad overwhelming to be around but… one couldn’t help but be drawn to them, much like a moth to a flame.

“Why does he always do that? I finally got some me time with Ron and Harry ruined it.” Seamus grumbled as they watched Harry tease Hermione from his place beside Ron.

“No, why do YOU always do this?” Dean countered with a roll of his eyes.

“You’re an embarrassment to society, I hope you know that?” Parvati drawled with a smirk.

Seamus grinned boyishly at her without shame and Lavender shared a sigh with Dean.

“Come on you lot, no more dawdling. Breakfast won’t wait forever,” Ron called from ahead.

The Gryffindor first years hurried to catch up, and Lavender felt a little more optimistic about the day.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Harry thought his day couldn’t get any better. Not only was he getting to spend time with Ron and Hermione, after so long, but Professor Flitwick thought they were ready to make things fly. The Boy-who-lived felt giddy with excitement for the rest of Halloween.

“Now, don’t forget that nice wrist movement we’ve been practising!” Professor Flitwick squeaked.

“This isn’t fair,” Seamus whined from his seat on Harry’s left.

Both boys were only half paying attention to the Professor perched on top of his pile of books. The two couldn’t stop peering over to where Neville sat next to Ron, practising his wrist movement with a focused eye. Harry could only nod with understanding.

“You get Ron for Transfiguration; Hermione gets him for Defense, and Neville gets him for Potions! How come I don’t get to partner with Ron for Charms?” Seamus continued to sulk.

Dean, from his seat behind them, leaned forward and knocked the Irish boy with his fist. Parvati snickered from her seat next to him.

“Ron’s a person not a bloody toy, now stop being an idiot and focus,” Dean scolded.

Harry thought himself lucky not to be partnered with Dean. If he can so easily scold and knock Seamus about, who was his best friend, what would he do to Harry who he barely tolerated? Harry shuddered at the thought and when his eyes accidently met Dean’s, the two boys shared strained smiles once again.

“Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick.”

Parvati leaned closer to the three boys and whispered quietly with a pointed nod.

“At least Ron and Nev make a good pair. I’m more concerned about Lavender and Hermione.”

They all looked to where the two girls sat. Lavender looked ready to commit murder while Hermione was muttering under her breath and scribbling into her notebook.

“Lavender’s not stupid,” Dean defended, pretending not to feel the considering glance Harry sent his way. The green-eyed boy wasn’t sure if Dean was implying something unspoken about Hermione or not.

“Yes, but she’s in a bit of a mood today. Neither of you room with them, so I don’t expect you to understand the utter disaster that could erupt between the two,” Parvati scoffed.

“…And saying the magic words properly is very important, too – Never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said ‘s’ instead of ‘f’ and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest,” Professor Flitwick shared with a chuckle.

“Hermione’s not that bad,” Harry declared, while the others made light noises in response.

No one specifically agreed or disagreed, but the subject was dropped in favour of practising the spell.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

“Swish and Flick, Nev, easy does it,” Ron coached with helpful demonstration.

“Seamus!” Harry yelped as his sleeve caught fire.

“Gah! Put it out! Put it out! DEAN!!” Seamus panicked while gaining the attention of Professor Flitwick.

“OH! Oh dear! Mister-“

“I’ve got it!” Dean assured with a rather droll sense of calm. Parvati was watching with fascinated eyes as Harry waved his arm about patting frantically at his sleeve, while Seamus flailed his arms about his feather.

Dean muttered quietly and a thin stream of water burst from his wand, dousing the flaming feather and Harry’s sleeve. The two boys blinked from shock before wilting with relief. Seamus then turned to Neville and Ron who had turned around at the commotion.

“See, what did I tell you. Dean is completely flame-resistant,” Seamus boasted proudly.

“I hate him,” Dean groaned into his hands, despairing even more when Parvati giggled.

“You’re done for, Dean. You’re stuck with him, he’s grown on you completely, like a fungus.”

Dean let out another despaired groan only perking up when Professor Flitwick praised him for his use of the extinguishing spell. He earned Gryffindor 10 points after he explained he discovered the charm as a safety precaution despite the recommended age limit. The spell was only at quarter strength, as it was intended for Fourth years. It was enough to put out small flames which is all Dean needed it to do. Earning points had become rather rare and quite hard to achieve. So, he was rightly pleased with the accomplishment.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

“Wingardium Leviosa!” Lavender repeated as she swished her wand.

The feather didn’t move an inch and she took a deep breath before trying once more.

“Wingaaardiium Leviosaa!” she repeated slowly.

The feather remained on her desk.

“Wengaaardiooom Leviiiosssaa!” She repeated a little more sternly with a sharper flick of her wand.

The feather remained on her desk.

“Wingardium Leviosa!” She snapped but the feather remained.

“ARRGH! Will you shut up for once Granger! I can’t concentrate at all with your bloody mumbling distracting me”

Hermione looked up from her notebook with her usual dull stare, but Lavender wasn’t intimidated at all. Not when she felt a rush of anger towards the girl. Lavender wanted to claw the other girl’s eyes out the longer she stared.

“Even if I did shut up, you’re still not going to get it right,” Hermione replied.

Lavender reared back, as if slapped and spluttered at the girl.

“What did you say?”

Hermione ignored Lavender’s reaction and continued speaking with blithe confidence.

“It’s the truth, no matter how hard you try the spell won’t work.”

Lavender growled and leaned forward with a threatening snarl, her voice pitching a little higher and gaining a bit of attention from the rest of the class.

“Did I ask? Oh wait, no I bloody well didn’t. I believe I asked you to shut up.”

Hermione closed her notebook and glowered at Lavender with an irritated scowl.

“You didn’t ask for my opinion, but you did blame me for your failure. It’s not my fault you can’t get the spell right.”

Lavender’s face grew hot and she could hear a few of the other students begin to whisper. She thought she could feel their stares as well and remembered the red spot on her chin. It caused her face to redden heatedly while her stomach twisted uncomfortably.

“Well, I doubt you can do it, seeing as you haven’t even made the slightest bit of effort to try. Unlike you, I’m at least trying you bossy know-it-all twit.” Lavender snapped.

Those closest to the girls had grown suspiciously silent, enough to get the attention of Ron and Neville a few seats away. But the two girls were caught in a standstill, venomously glaring, wishing the worst upon each other.

“Fine,” Hermione sneered before reaching for her wand.

With the poise of someone well practiced with the movement, she swished and flicked her wand, pronouncing the spell clearly.

“Wingardium Leviosa,” she cast, and the feather lifted into the air dancing to the direction of Hermione’s wand.

The feather had rose high enough to gain the attention of the rest of the class, including Professor Flitwick.

“Oh, well done!” he cried while clapping.

“Everyone see here, Miss Granger’s done it!”

Hermione ignored the praise in favour of twisting in her seat to look at Lavender. With a slight head tilt, Hermione widened her lips into a smirk. Lavender said nothing for the rest of the class. She didn’t look up from her desk or try the spell again. She sat with her wand tightly gripped in her hand, doing her best to ignore the girl beside her.

As soon as class was over, Lavender stood and rushed out of the room. She ignored Parvati’s cry of her name and left behind her bookbag. Once she was in the corridors, she blindly ran for the nearest bathroom, dodging the roaming students. After locking herself in the stall, she buried her face in her hands and cried.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Hermione knew, the second her temper had calmed, that she’d massively screwed up. After Lavender ran, Parvati stormed up to her face and demanded she explain what happened. Hermione stubbornly kept her silence until Parvati fingered her wand looking ready to hex her. Then Harry stepped between them while Dean gripped Parvati’s wand hand, whispering for her to calm down.

“Don’t start anything, not here,” he hushed motioning towards the lingering students.

Seamus returned looking puffed out and hassled.

“I lost her, she’s bloody fast when she wants,” he huffed.

“Seriously though Granger, what did you say?” Seamus accused.

“What makes you think Hermione started it?” Harry defended with a glare.

Parvati and Seamus looked ready to argue but Neville interfered with a sharp hiss.

“Stop it! Just stop it before we make any more of a scene. We have to get to class or else we’ll risk points again.”

Parvati shoved Dean’s grip off and glared at Hermione while stepping forward.

“You know Granger, for someone so bloody smart you can be a real fucking idiot about people.”

She knocked Hermione to the side and grabbed Lavender’s book bag before turning and rushing out. Dean and Seamus followed behind her with distant stares towards Hermione and Harry. Neville shook his head and looked to Ron, but the red head ushered him forward with a nod.

“Go ahead Nev, we’ll follow after.”

With the others gone, the trio quietly stewed in the silence between them. Harry glanced awkwardly between Hermione and Ron, feeling the air between them tremble with tension. Ron closed his eyes and shook his head with a heavy sigh.

“We’re going to be late,” he declared before motioning for them to follow.

Hermione still hadn’t said a word, but she did follow. Harry startled when Ron started a casual conversation with him about Quidditch training as they walked. Though hesitant and confused at first, Harry eventually forgot about the tension in favour of arguing about the speed differences between a clean sweep and a firebolt.

It wasn’t until they’d reached their next class and he was partnered with Neville while Hermione partnered with Ron, that he realised he’d been duped.

Again, Harry wasn’t sure how he felt about that as he watched Ron and Hermione tensely whisper with one another.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

“If you’re going to have a go at me too, you should spit it out already,” Hermione hissed through clenched teeth.

Ron shrugged as he practiced the wand movement for the spell they were learning.

“No point, what’s done is done. We can’t change it now, can we? I’m waiting to hear what you’re going to do about it.”

Hermione splutters and turns so fast; Ron almost gets whipped by her bushy hair. She leans forward, her eyes blazing wide with outrage as she sneers her response.

“Me! All I did was prove I wasn’t the problem. She was the one who couldn’t do the bloody spell right and threw a hissy fit.”

Ron said nothing in response but the droll stare he gave her spoke volumes of what he thought. It was enough to set Hermione into a ranting fit, her words were spat through clenched teeth while her eyes sparked with stubborn insistence. Ron let her rant, idly working on their worksheet, and leaving her to her fit. Honestly, she could be just as dramatic as Harry sometimes. Ron was suddenly reminded of Charlie’s warning of teenage girls and their vapid mood swings. He shuddered with dread hoping his two best friends would have calmed by then. Ron doubted he could manage two dramatic best friends hyped on hormones _and_ Ginny attending Hogwarts.

“…and all she ever does is worry about her hair, gossip mags and boys! She’s an utter nightmare!” she finished with a panting heave.

Ron took his time writing the answers for their question sheet and looked to her with an arched brow.

“Maybe, but Parvati had a point,” he started.

Hermione made a keening sound in protest, but Ron glared at her to keep quiet. Despite obeying, her glare was piercing sharp, enough to cut even the greatest of foes down. Not that it worked on Ron. Nothing could ever be as scary as the day Bill and his Dad had a big argument leading to Bill’s second ever grounding. It was the day the Weasley children realized their father’s patience was not never-ending and his temper could rival Fiendfyre.

“Lavender might be a bit obsessive about looks and appearances, but that’s not so different from your obsession with books.”

Hermione opened her mouth to argue but Ron stopped her with a stern bark of warning.

“Let me finish! You can’t expect everyone to like or think the same way as you, otherwise there would be no such thing as originality. If everyone were alike everything would be boring. You’ve got to have a bit of diversity you know. Now, how would you feel if you tried looking prettier or something and Lavender told you, you still looked ugly?”

“That’s ridiculous! Why would I-“

Ron rolled his eyes and glared at her impatiently.

“It’s a hypothetical, Hermione. How would you feel? Imagine you put in the same amount of dedication and effort as you did your library petition, yeah? Okay, then someone everyone thinks is the prettiest person ever, takes one look at you and says it’s all for shit. Wouldn’t it make you feel pretty horrid too?”

Hermione says nothing in response. Ron knows he’s won. He finishes off the question sheet and signs both their names at the top. As he stretched out the cricks in his neck, Hermione gives a defeated huff. He can’t help but smirk smugly as he turns to her.

“Oh, shut up, Weasley,” she snaps.

Ron snickers before pushing their worksheet over for her to deliver to the front. Its only as she’s skimming the answers, she realizes it’s as if she wrote it herself. Hermione looks up from the sheet, over to where Ron’s struck up conversation with Neville and Harry. She watches him casually call to Seamus and Dean, eventually leading the boys back into a group. The group of boys fall into laughter and the tension among them due to the girls fallout seems forgotten.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

They’d still not seen Parvati or Lavender since Charms. The boys carefully avoid the subject, but it’s obvious they’re on the lookout. As morning break comes to an end, Ron leans over to Hermione and sighs.

“If they don’t turn up after third period, we’ll go looking. I don’t want this continuing during the feast tonight.”

Hermione watches him brush his hand over the left of his chest before scratching at his neck. It reminds her of what happened during flying classes and she blurts her words with eager intent.

“You feel it too! Don’t you?” 

“Feel what?” he questions with a scrunch of his nose.

“Like something important is supposed to happen! It’s been bugging me all morning, so much I couldn’t sleep! It’s just like what happened during Flying lessons!”

Ron is looking at her like she’s crazy, but Harry joins their talk with a look of confusion.

“What? What happened during flying lessons? Ron, what’s she talking about?” Harry pressingly asks.

The red head shakes his head and looks sufferingly at Harry.

“ _Feelings_ , she’s wanting to talk about _feelings_ , Harry,” Ron stressed with a groan. 

“Oh… Um, do you want to talk to Percy about… how you um… feel?” Harry suggests with an awkward shuffle.

Hermione’s cheeks burn due to their expressions. She can tell Ron is doing it on purpose. She’s clued in on his game. He’s trying to distract her and change the topic! She glares at Ron and angrily snarls at him while her hair begins to frizz.

“Oh no you don’t, Ronald Weasley! I’m on to you! You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

She’s loud enough to get the attention of the others. Harry leans away from her as if she’s spitting fire while Ron groans louder and thumps his head on the table.

“What’s going on?” Dean questions.

“It’s Hermione, she wants to talk about _feelings_ ,” Harry explains with a quiet whisper.

Neville makes the exact same face as Harry did and moves like he wants to pat Hermione but isn’t sure she wants to be touched.

“Um, do you want to talk to Percy about how you feel?” Neville sweetly asks.

Hermione doesn’t bother answering, too busy glaring furiously at Ron. Although the tall red head looks rather tortured and stares back at her with confusion, Hermione _knows_. She _knows_ the blasted boy has purposely gathered everyone together to avoid her accusations. It’s a rather outlandish conclusion to make, but damnit, Hermione bloody hell knows _she’s_ right! Ron’s completely done all of this on purpose, some way or somehow!

“Blimey, Ron, she looks like she’s about to throw you into a pit of inferi!” Seamus mutters.

Hermione lets out a frustrated growl and stomps close as she can to Ron’s face. Harry and the rest of the boys all dive behind the tall red head who looks unbothered by Hermione’s obvious tantrum.

“I’m on to you Weasley!” she sneers

Harry frowns at her and steps up beside Ron, looking ready to defend the red head against the pre-teen girl.

“Hermione,” Harry names in the same tone Professor McGonagall likes to use when she’s disappointed.

With one last snarl, Hermione turns and stomps off to their next lesson. In her wake, the boys share bewildered glances with one another.

“Bloody hell, is there something in the air today affecting all the females we know?” Seamus exclaims with a shake of his head.

“Maybe she’s feeling guilty about what happened with Lavender?” Neville suggests.

Dean and Seamus shared a quick look and decide not to comment. Not when Harry is so close by. The boy who lived tended to get rather defensive when it came to Hermione, much like his possessive hogging of Ron’s attention.

“Let’s just get to class. We’ll give Hermione a bit of space to cool off. If Lavender and Parvati don’t return to class by fourth period, I’ll go talk to her so we can go find them together,” Ron sighs with a frown.

It had been nice and rather funny this morning to have Ron fuss over them like a mother hen. The four boys had come to think of Ron as an older brother. Percy and Oliver had been busy lately, same as the twins, but Ron had helped where he could. Dean found it weird that Ron was his age yet acted and thought like a grumpy old man. He wondered if the taller boy was feeling stressed.

“And to think, we’ve not even hit puberty yet,” Dean mumbled.

Seamus slung his arm over his shoulder before he spoke.

“Cheer up Dino Dean.”

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Ron sighed and resisted the urge to pinch at the bridge of his nose like Percy. The twinge in his chest was persisting again and his temper was fraying. The red haired eleven-year-old felt exhausted, but today was too important for him to stop and take a nap.

“Ron?” Harry prompted with a worried green-eyed stare.

Ron could also feel Neville and Dean’s quiet glances from his right. He scrubbed at his face, feeling his lips twist into a scowl. The mild twinge of his scar became a nasty burning ache, enough to make him grunt. But Ron had years to deal with his condition and covered the reaction by pairing it with a suffering glare towards a rowdy group passing by.

“Have to talk to Hermione. We’ll be quick, but we might miss fourth. Could you guys take notes?” he asked.

Harry frowned but Ron was mostly addressing Dean and Neville. The two boys nodded, but it was Seamus who answered.

“Sure. If I know Lavender, she’s probably burrowed away in one of the girls bathrooms. I’d start on the first floor. I mean, Lav’s a fast runner but the girl doesn’t like to sweat.”

Ron gave a short smile to show his appreciation, relieved he had a vague direction to start with. Seamus had a talent for knowing people by their habits, likes and dislikes. He doubted the Irish boy would lead him astray.

“Could you let the girls know we’re worried, too?” Neville softly requests.

“Yeah. Hopefully, we’ll see you in Transfiguration. Even better if we get this sorted before lunch.”

As the boys moved to walk off, Ron wasn’t surprised to find Harry sticking to his side. The green-eyed boy stubbornly lifted his chin.

“Right, so we off to get Hermione then?” Harry asked.

Ron couldn’t help the smirk that tugged on his lips or the chuckle that escaped.

“No need,” Ron replied.

Harry blinked with surprise when Hermione stormed her way over. The air around her trembled with aggression. She joined them with a crisp hiss and dark glower.

“I’m not sorry for accusing you in front of everyone, but I am sorry for pushing at something you don’t want to talk about.”

Harry looked to Ron, who suddenly appeared rather stern.

“Good. Seamus suggested we check the first-floor bathrooms.”

Hermione nodded and stormed ahead, not bothering to wait. When Ron turned to look at Harry, the green-eyed boy was staring at him.

“What?”

Rather dramatically, Harry flailed his arms, motioning at Ron with frustration and mild awe.

“How do- How do you just do that?”

“Do what?”

“ _That!_ You always seem to know how to get her to listen to you or calm down without trying to murder you with her eyes!”

Ron scoffed as he pat Harry on the shoulder and guided him forward.

“Hermione is nothing compared to Charlie and Ginny fighting over the last of the bacon. If you survive those two, you can survive anything.”

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Their search for Lavender and Parvati didn’t take long thanks to Seamus’. The trio could hear the loud wails and shouted reassurances from the corridor despite the locked door.

“Geez, you really did a number on her,” Harry mumbled after a particularly loud wail.

Hermione glared murderously at him.

“What? I’m just saying,” Harry defended.

“Oh, shut up, Potter. No one asked for your opinion.” Hermione hissed.

“You mean like Lavender didn’t ask for yours?” Harry absently quipped back.

If Ron hadn’t quickly held Hermione back, the boy-who-lived most certainly would have been the boy-who-died.

“Harry, stop teasing her or else I’ll let her have her way with you.”

Harry looked at Ron with wide eyes, swallowing nervously.

“She started it…” 

Ron’s stern expression didn’t shift in the slightest. Hermione twisted in his hold, a smirk growing on her lips.

“Read the room, Potter.”

Harry sent a poison green stare her way but behaved himself. Sometimes, Ron couldn’t help but think Harry and Hermione were worse than the twins and Ginny combined. An angry wail from behind the closed door reminded the trio of why they were skipping class.

“Hermione, what exactly did you say to her?” Harry scolded while cringing away from the door.

“She’s just being dramatic, as per usual,” Hermione muttered only to wince at the hysterical warbling.

Ron sighed and motioned for Hermione to get on with it.

“The quicker you fix it, the better off we’ll all be.”

“But how is she even going to get inside? It’s locked isn’t it?” Harry wondered after attempting to twist open the knob.

Hermione roughly shoved him aside. She pointed her wand at the lock, did a quick wand movement and muttered a spell.

“Alohomora.”

Hermione opened the bathroom door and stomped inside with determination. She didn’t bother waiting for the two boys in her wake, one blinking in astoundment, the other mildly amused at the other.

“One day, Ron, I swear we’re going to cast a spell she’s never even heard off and have her marvel at our backs,” Harry promised with a determined huff.

Ron snorted and shook his head while nudging Harry forward.

“Yeah okay, mate. But first you gotta replace Snape as Hogwarts Potion Master. One step at a time on the road to greatness, Harry.”

Harry’s eyes grew wide with alarm.

“Ron? We’re not allowed in the girls bathroom!”

“Under normal circumstances, we don’t get involved at all. But this is between Hermione and Lavender. If we want Hogwarts to still be standing after fourth period, we’ve got to make sure we keep Hermione in check. Merlin only knows what other spells she’s already mastered just because she could.”

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Their arrival was paid little to no mind as the scathing hissed words exchanged between the females had already begun.

“Will you come out of the bloody bathroom already Brown so I can bloody well say I’m sorry!” Hermione near screamed.

She took a step forward, intent on pounding at the stall until the other girl obeyed her will. Except, Parvati stopped her with a growl and piercing glare. Harry shivered feeling rather uneasy at seeing Parvati’s scary expression. She was often so pleasant and smiling; the change was rather daunting.

“I DON’T HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU GRANGER!” Lavender screamed back.

Harry jumped, having sudden flash backs to Aunt Petunia’s shrill cries when he was younger. He felt a hand grip his shoulder, the weight and warmth of it calming him from his childhood flashback. Harry thought the taller boy looked extremely disappointed with the two girls.

The girls were growing far too emotional as they continued to hiss and screech sharp barbed insults at one another. Parvati, despite her protective guard over Lavender’s sanctuary, was reluctant to physically confront Hermione. A weakness, Hermione quickly took advantage off. She kicked at the next stall causing Parvati to flinch. It allowed Hermione to charge for the door.

“Alohomora!” she hissed with a quick flick of her wand.

There was a click and a squeak from Lavender. Hermione pushed and shoved in attempt to open the door while Lavender did the same on the other side

“Uh….” Harry blinked; Parvati seemed to feel the same way.

It would hardly be appropriate of them to laugh, considering the arguing pre-teens emotional state.

“OPEN UP ALREADY BROWN SO I CAN… GRR… APOLOGIZE!” Hermione grunted.

“NO!” Lavender huffed back.

Parvati and Harry shared a helpless look, unsure of what they should do in the face of… whatever it was Lavender, and Hermione were doing.

Harry thought he heard the deep rumbling growl of something rather animalistic. Yet, as he looked for its origin, he found nothing. Before he could ask the others if they had heard anything strange, Ron’s patience had finally run out.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Hermione felt her blouse collar tense around her neck as Ron dragged her away. She hissed like a hysterical cat being dragged by it’s tail, but Ron glared at her. Lavender yelped in shock at the sudden lack of opposing force and the door slammed shut with a loud clap.

“What! I’m trying to apologise but she won’t listen to me!” Hermione snarled.

Harry and Parvati shared shrewd looks and wondered how Ron was going to react.

The tall red head scoffed out a laugh of disbelief while shaking his head. He let go of Hermione but fixed a Percy like stare in her direction with a stern finger.

“Right, well who would want to listen to someone who sounds completely barmy. Take a moment to collect yourself and while you’re at it, reflect on all the ways what you were doing didn’t work.”

They could hear the unrelenting order in his tone. Hermione clenched her jaw with an angry huff but obeyed. Harry and Parvati couldn’t help but once again marvel at Ron and his ability to handle Hermione with ease. He was probably the only person she ever listened to. Parvati leaned over to whisper to Harry as if sharing a secret.

“You know, Seamus reckons Granger might be part berserker.”

“Berserker? What’s that?” Harry whispered back with a curious scrunch of his nose.

“Oh, you know, just another term for saying _insane psychopath,”_ Parvati answered with pointed emphasis towards the end.

“Get bent Patil,” Hermione snapped.

Harry jumped back, having forgot about Hermione’s super senses. Parvati scoffed and flipped her long braid over her shoulder and mimicked Hermione in a high-pitched voice.

“Oi!” Ron snapped, and all three children immediately behaved themselves.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Ron took a deep breath, ignoring the unbearable burning ache of his chest. He mentally went over his breathing techniques, trying to get a grip over the irritable sensation. Exhaling heavily, he softly called Lavender’s name, after casting one last warning glare at the other three.

“Lavender… will you please open the door so we could talk?” he softly requested with a light knock.

He heard her hitched hiccups and sniffles from the other side but nothing else. He shot another warning glare towards Hermione who impatiently shifted on her feet.

“Please Lavender, Hermione really does want to apologise,” he added.

Unsurprisingly, Lavender responded with a high-pitched whine of disbelief before laughing bizarrely.

“Apologise? That savage Muggle born chit was trying to break down this door a second ago!” she countered.

Ron took another deep breath as his chest pains increased. There was something about this bathroom that was triggering his condition more than usual. Something that screamed for him to hurry up and leave the room. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Hermione was starting to claw at the back of her neck. He exhaled and did his best to keep his own arms by his side and nowhere near his chest.

“Come now Lavender, at least hear her out.”

Perhaps it was the tired exhaustion that seeped into his words and tone. Or maybe Lavender herself was ready for the confrontation. Regardless, she finally opened the door. She had red rimmed puffy eyes, with red blotches across her face from crying. There were flyaway strands of her hair around her face, a change from her usual neat waves and curls.

Despite her obvious disarray, Ron still greeted her with a gentle smirk.

Lavender couldn’t help the way she blushed under his gentle regard. How is it he can look at her with such kindness when she’s so obviously an ugly mess.

“Oh Lav,” Parvati whispered softly.

It reminded Lavender of why they were all squished inside the girls bathroom. Later, she will hysterically write to her mother about the famous Harry Potter hovering awkwardly in the girls bathroom. For now, she focused her attention on the biggest blemish in her otherwise wonderful life at Hogwarts.

Hermione and Lavender glared venomously at one another.

“Granger, you apparently have something you wished to say,” Lavender prompted with a haughty sniff.

Hermione scoffed, the mulish glare on her face speaking volumes.

Ron cleared his throat causing Hermione to take a deep breath.

“I’m sorry,” she gritted out.

Harry blinked, was that all?

He cast a quick look to Ron and saw the exasperated boy roll his eyes. Harry cleared his throat and prompted Hermione with a pointed motion. The bushy haired girl grumbled.

“I’m sorry I made you feel like you were stupid, or that you were useless during class. I know you didn’t mean to imply it was my fault you couldn’t get the spell right.”

Lavender tilted her head, giving a thoughtful hum, Hermione determinedly ignored it and continued.

“Everybody is different and learns at their own pace. I should have been more understanding and helpful rather than unintentionally belittling you like I did”

They watched Lavender, waiting for her response, but the pigtailed blonde continued to stand expectantly across from Hermione.

“Lavender?” Parvati questioned.

“What? Is that all? She said she was going to apologise so I’m waiting,” Lavender huffed.

Harry and Ron shared a look of apprehension while Hermione blinked at Lavender with confusion.

“What do you mean ‘is that all’? What else am I supposed to apologise for?”

Lavender started counting off her fingers the many things she wanted an apology for. As her list grew longer, Hermione’s eyes grew wider. Parvati, sensing the rising tension would lead to another hysterical episode, inched her way closer to the boys.

“-And I’m absolutely tired of tripping over your towering piles of books in our dorm!” Lavender finished.

Hermione was visibly speechless…. Until she wasn’t.

“Are you- My books aren’t a problem at all! If anything, you should apologize to me! Do you know how many times I’ve sneezed because of your overpriced waste of cheap perfumes you constantly spray about the room?”

“Overpriced! That’s quality made-“

Hermione cut Lavender off and started listing her own demands of apology.

Harry could only watch the girls argue back and forth, following their remarks like one would a ping pong match. Parvati had visibly given up on interfering and was mentally counting down the seconds until lunch. Ron had started rubbing at his chest, his face set in a painful frown as he did his best to stave off his rising rage.

Perhaps Hermione sensed his withering patience? Or maybe her own paranoid itch was growing insistently unbearable. Whatever the reason, Hermione silenced Lavender with a loud shout.

“FINE! I’M SORRY LAVENDER! I’m sorry for always waking you in the morning with my muttering! I’m sorry for my book towers and my death glares, which is honestly just my face but whatever. I’m sorry I make you feel stupid because I’m terrible with people. But you know, not all of us can be like you. Not all of us can wake up in the morning looking pretty or have naturally beautiful hair that falls flat like waves and rivers of sunlight. I’m sorry some idiot made you believe girls must choose between being pretty and smart when you’re both. I’m sorry someone as talented and beautiful as you feels she’s not at all special because she thinks she needs to be smarter.”

By the end of her outburst, Hermione was panting as the others stared at her gobsmacked. None of them had expected Hermione of all people to explode in such a way. Especially Lavender, who was gaping at the girl across her in shock. Hermione’s face felt hot and her wild frizzy hair seemed to cackle with magic. She clenched her jaw and stared Lavender dead in the eye.

“I’m sorry, Lavender.”

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Lavender was vaguely aware of the others staring at her in wait, her mind, a chaotic mess. She tried to make sense of all Hermione had said.

Natural beautiful hair?

Like waves and rivers of sunlight?

Beautiful and talented?

Oh….she knew exactly what to do.

“Lavender?” Parvati prompted with concern.

With a shaky gasp, Lavender clutched at her chest and stared at Hermione imploringly.

“Oh Merlin, you’re completely in love with me.”

“What?” Harry blurted, but Hermione looked lost while Ron wore an odd expression, a strange of mix of exasperated and amused.

“Of course! That explains everything!” Parvati gasped with wide eyes.

She immediately caught on to Lavender’s intention and eagerly joined the fun.

“How does that explain anything at all!?” Harry vented with frustration.

Ron snorted but quickly hid his laugh when Hermione sent a death glare his way. She couldn’t say anything anyway, not when Lavender approached her with a regretfully sad smile.

“Granger, no…. Hermione…. I’m flattered…. Honestly, I am, but you must understand. You’re not at all my type.”

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Lavender hushed her with a rise of her hand.

“I know, it must hurt you to hear but it’s the truth. If I had known you’d just been trying to get my attention I would have…”

Lavender let out a forlorn sigh and shook her head.

“It doesn’t matter now. I know you’re probably going to need some time after this, but I really do hope you’ll recover enough to want to try being friends.”

Parvati joined the two girls, looking to Hermione with utter sympathy.

“If we’d only known,” she simpered with an apologetic shake of her head.

Harry and Hermione aren’t too sure what happened following that. They remember Parvati and Lavender saying they’ll see them at lunch. They recall Ron seeing the two girls off with a laughing grin and short dip of his head out of respect. They didn’t find their words until only the three of them remained.

“I-….What exactly just happened?” Harry questioned dazedly.

Hermione dropped into a squat, folded her arms, and buried her face in them, letting out a prolonged groan.

Ron waited for his two gobsmacked idiot friends to pull themselves together with a grin. He could readily admit to being impressed with Lavender’s mischievous escape. He wondered how long it would take for Hermione to realize she’d been played. He also wondered what else Lavender and Parvati might have picked up from Fred and George.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

When it was finally time for the Halloween feast, Harry’s excitement returned with full force. He could hardly refrain from bouncing in his seat.

“Are you sure you didn’t snack on too many sugar quills, Harry?” Neville warily asked.

“I’m just really excited, is all. This will be my first real celebration!” Harry laughed before explaining.

“What do you mean?” Dean questioned.

Harry shrugged, distracted by one of the flying bats on the ceiling.

“My relatives aren’t that big on celebrations. Every Halloween, my Uncle would book a stay at some remote location far away from anything. We’d stay there for about a week, basically cut off from the rest of the world.”

Neville and Dean share an unreadable look that went unnoticed by the green-eyed boy. Before they can further converse on the subject, the Weasley twins join them. Their faces were bright with devilish grins as they fixated in on their target. Hermione was determined to ignore the entirety of the world. She persistently read one of her textbooks, but her unnaturally blank expression proved she was struggling.

“Just heard the news, Granger,” George solemnly started.

Hermione ignored them and flipped the page of her book. Fred dramatically sighed while shaking his head solemnly.

“Ah, to be so young-“ he started

“- and in love,” George continued

“Only to be turned away…. Such a pity” They finished in unison; their smiles twisted with laughing tease.

Seamus, the suicidal fool, blatantly laughed and slung his arm around Hermione as if to comfort her.

“Don’t be too down, Granger, it’ll only be awkward for a bit,” He assured with a candid grin.

Hermione finally put her book down and the death glare she gave was her worst yet.

“Finnigan, do you enjoy having an arm?” she sneered, the promised threat in her tone obvious for all to hear.

Seamus paled and quickly scrambled to hide by Ron. Ron only grunted when the Irish boy jumped behind him. He was too busy watching his older brothers with a churlish glare.

“Did you two troubling gits want something or what?” he huffed.

Fred frowned and ruffled Ron’s hair, ignoring the snarled growl he got in return. While Fred continued to tease their little Ronnie, George was preoccupied with observing the first year with hidden suspicion. Something in Ron’s tone sounded off to him. But before he could contemplate it further, Ron violently shoved Fred off him with a fierce scowl.

“Knock it off, already!” he growled.

Fred laughed, but George could hear the concern he tried to hide. They exchanged a quick glance, holding an entire conversation in the single second their eyes met. The twins knew better than to question Ron about whatever might be bothering him. It left only one other option, with scattered jokes and a bit more teasing they excused themselves from the group of first years. If their goodbye to Ron was a little more touch filled and lingering, no one other than Ron would have known.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Shit. Ron knew by the twins lingering touch they were catching on that something was up. They were likely informing Percy who was likely going to corner him tonight or tomorrow morning. Ron could only hope his condition had eased up by then. He couldn’t risk Percy sending word to Charlie or worse…Bill. All his brothers we’re far too busy to be concerned about him.

“Ron! Can we actually eat those?” Harry quietly questioned, his eyes wide in awe and wonder.

For the briefest second, the piercing burn of his chest pains eased. He suddenly felt overwhelmed with agonised grief and mourning as he stared at the boy beside him. Ron couldn’t make sense of his sudden want to cry.

“Yeah mate… all you can eat,” he croaked out.

Ron figures his face must have been doing something strange as Harry’s brows scrunched in confusion. But the green-eyed boy didn’t get the chance to question it. Professor Quirrell ran into the hall with terror on his face, gaining everyone’s attention with terrified squawks. As the turban wearing Professor slumped against the table before Dumbledore, struggling to breathe; Ron had slouched over and pressed at his chest. It felt like an invisible hand was digging itself into his flesh attempting to claw out his rapidly beating heart. He was vaguely aware that Hermione was experiencing something similar, as she grabbed at her neck, looking just as pained.

“Troll- in the dungeons…. Thought you ought to know,” Professor Quirrell then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

As chaos erupted around them, Ron and Hermione caught each other’s gaze.

Both could feel their scars, the paranoia and foreboding anxiety they’d felt all day had eased, becoming a little more bearable.

This had to be it.

By the time Dumbledore had given his instructions and left with McGonagall and Snape; Ron had silently decided on a plan of his own.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Harry felt a brief spike of panic as everyone started to scream. He could feel his heart pounding with adrenaline while Neville trembled on his other side. Some students had already started to scramble out of their seats ready to run. He would describe it all as utter chaos, yet… when he turned to his friends…. They both seemed oddly calm.

Hermione had jumped out of her seat and was standing on the table, scanning the great hall with sharp eyes. In one hand she had her wand at the ready and in the other her dinner knife. She looked…. Fierce…. Dangerous.

When Harry looked to Ron, intent on pointing out her odd reaction, he was distracted by the taller boy himself. Ron’s grumpy scowl had hardened into something he imagined a warrior would wear. The taller boy’s usual laughing blue eyes looked rather feral. Harry shuddered, wondering how his two friends could look so wild at the mere age of eleven. He wondered why the sight of them in such way excited him more than terrify him.

“Harry! Come on! We have to line up!” Neville cried while shaking him out of his thoughts.

Harry opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Hermione jumping down and joining them. The rest of the Gryffindor first years had crowded together in a group. All of them, other than the trio, looking shaken and scared. Hermione looked to Ron and instantly started to report.

“Besides the lot that left with Dumbledore, the rest of the Professors are still here. A quick head count confirmed all students were accounted for,” She quickly rattled off.

Ron nodded; his brows furrowed in thought as Harry piped up with a question.

“What does that mean?”

“… it means all of Hogwarts is currently present in this room and no one is missing,” Ron absently answered. 

It took a couple seconds for Harry to puzzle out why his friends thought that was important. Once he did, he suddenly understood what Hermione and Ron intended to do.

Dean frowned while Lavender and Parvati clutched his robe sleeves a little tighter. The weird trio were all but ignoring the chaotic jostling of the older students around them. He looked to Seamus and Neville, their unsure and nervous expressions mirroring his own feelings. Lavender, brave soul that she is, burst the little bubble the trio had unconsciously cocooned themselves in.

“Excuse me, but could you please explain what you’re bloody on about? Not all of us can be as mentally insane as Potter and Granger.”

Ron shook his head, his eyes trained on the other side of the hall as he distractedly spoke.

“Later. We need to stop everyone from leaving.”

“What? Why?” Seamus blurt.

“We don’t have time!” Hermione hissed with another death glare.

“Hermione, try and get to Flitwick. He could order everyone not to leave,” Harry pointed out and the bushy haired girl disappeared soon after.

“Neville if you-“ Harry began but was cut off by Dean’s shove.

“No! Explain Potter. What the hell is going on?” he snapped.

Harry glared but Ron interfered before Harry could blow his top.

“Do you trust me?”

Dean stared at the taller boy his stance uncertain. Perhaps it was obvious or maybe his own eyes showed his conflict. Regardless, Neville answered the question for the rest of them.

“Yes! Of course, we do!”

Ron smiled, the expression soft and fond. It left the group of first years breathless as they had never imagined Ron was capable of such an expression. At least, not towards them.

“Dumbledore ordered everyone to go back to their dorms, yeah?” Ron started easily.

The other first years shared confused looks, until Harry made a snake motion from behind him. Suddenly they understood what the trio had come to realise.

“The Troll is in the dungeon!” Parvati gasped in horror.

“Exactly. We can’t let them go back. Also, it’ll be easier to keep track of everyone if we all remain here,” Ron quickly added.

“What was Dumbledore thinking?” Seamus blurted with rising panic.

Dean and Neville ignored their own disbelief towards the Headmaster, instead they stared at Harry and Ron expectantly.

“What can we do to help?”

Harry and Ron grinned as the rest of their Gryffindor friends waited for instructions. All of them, determined to help.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

“Neville, if you could get to Percy-“ Harry started.

“Got it,” Neville scrambled off to the upper end of the Gryffindor table.

“Fred and George,” Ron added.

“We’ve got it handled,” Lavender and Parvati quickly nodded before taking off.

“Seamus and I will try and stall anyone from leaving,” Dean informed, taking off after Harry and Ron agreed.

The remaining two boys looked to each other, anxious but determined grins on their faces.

“Ready?” Ron questioned.

Harry’s heart raced, his stomach flipping just as it had the first time he flew on a broom.

“No, you?” Harry replied, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Ron laughed and shook his head before responding, “Never”.

The two boys darted through the crowd, fighting to get to where the Slytherins were crowded. Later, Harry would wonder at the familiarity of it all. He’d wonder how he could have come to trust the boy beside him so completely, he’d follow him without hesitation.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Corvus Drake might not have been Dumbledore’s biggest fan, but he’s never hated the man as intensely as he did now. To disregard the safety and panic of an entire house so publicly was utterly unforgivable. Not to mention the half-blood waste who’d disappeared alongside the bloody old man.

“Drake, focus,” Farley hissed.

Corvus deliberately took a deep breath, doing his best to centre his magic. He could vent later, right now he had a House to reassure and protect.

“We can’t go to the dorms,” Griffins stated prompting the other prefects to snort.

“No shit. Our best bet is to stay here, but with Dumbledore’s bloody orders we’d be stirring the nest more than it already is. You know those bloody eagles are looking for prey now that the lions are clawing up their tree,” Rook snorted.

“Where are Evergreen and Goldhorn?” he demanded.

“We’ve got them guarding the hatchlings, Flint’s corralling the others into order.”

Before Corvus could further decide on what to do, their distracted by the loud arguing coming from the hatchlings end of the table. Immediately, the prefects move towards the commotion, their wands in hand. Its not at all what they expected to find. Who would expect the newest Weasel and infamous Harry Potter to willingly crossover to the snake house?

The argument seems to be between Potter and Malfoy. The two boys are glaring daggers at one another, both being held back by Weasley and Zabini. Corvus huffs and makes a mental note to get Flint to sort Malfoy out again. It seems the Malfoy brat had inherited more of his Black families’ temper than most would believe.

“What’s going on here?” He demands with his fiercest growl and glare.

The hatchlings immediately back off. Good, at least they still remember his introduction speech. He studies the two Gryffindor kittens, taking note of Potter’s poison green gaze and Weasley’s disgruntled glower. Interestingly, both boys shift their stance upon his arrival. It’s clear they consider him as a threat.

“Don’t leave the hall,” Potter blurts.

Corvus shifts, his subtle motion informing the rest of the prefects on how to act. Rook adopts her nastiest glare while Griffins subtly hustles the hatchlings out of sight and hearing. Corvus slinks forward, his stride threatening and his laughter deep with mockery.

“Is that an order, Potter?” he sneers.

“Dumbledore shouldn’t have ordered you back to the dungeons,” Potter adds.

Admittedly, Corvus is surprised that a first year Gryffindor, of all people, figured out the old man’s idiocy. Let alone that he cared enough to try and stop them. But, Slytherin had a reputation to protect and he couldn’t be shown getting cozy with Potter of all people.

“And why would a bunch of first year kittens care about what happens to a couple of snakes?” Rook hisses with a mocking sneer.

Before anymore could be said, there’s a loud boom from where the Great Hall doors are. Followed by that was a loud shout of panic and an expressed shout of someone’s name. Professor Sprout is shouting for students to clear the way, as she hurries toward the smoking entrance. Not even a few seconds after that, Professor Flitwick instructs all students to remain in the great hall. Corvus thought the timing to be suspicious and a quick study of the two Gryffindor first years, tells him plenty.

Potter has a laughing grin on his lips, his shoulders slumping with relief. But Corvus is more intrigued by the utter satisfaction the little Weasel wears. He hears Farley giggle on his left and he looks to her with a considering frown. She smiles with amusement at the two first years.

“Well… now I understand why Percy wanted that reassurance,” she says.

Percy Weasley pushes through the crowd of students with sharp hissing and cold snapping as if summoned. Corvus notes that the older Weasley isn’t looking at anyone other than his own little brother. When he joins them, he grabs the younger boy by the shoulder, checking him over like a mother would. Corvus finds himself feeling shocked at Percy Weasley’s blatant display of weakness.

Once he’s sure neither his brother, or Potter, were harmed in any way; Percy straightens and faces them. Corvus silently considers the older red head. He rarely dealt with the Weasley prefect but had heard enough to know the boy had yet to break his word. He makes a mental note to reprimand Farley and Flint later for failing to mention Percy Weasley conducted himself as a proper pureblood should.

“Drake, is there a problem here?”

Corvus shivers, his own magic struggling under the icy threat of the opposing boy’s magic. He can feel it, practically taste it in the air. Percy Weasley was aware he’d just outed one of his weakness. He was letting every well-educated pureblood know, through his magic alone, the risks should they attempt to exploit.

They stand across from one another silently for a few brief seconds, but Corvus isn’t stupid enough to risk a Weasley blood feud over something so minimal.

“No… no problem,” he admits.

“Good.”

Corvus stands tensely as the Weasley prefect hustles his younger brother and Potter back over to where the Gryffindors crowd. It’s not till their completely out of sight that he turns to his own house. Farley is avoiding his eye, which is enough to piss him off, but this is not the place.

“I’ll speak with you and Flint later,” he sneers before stomping over to the hatchlings.

** ~(*)\\(*)/(*)~ **

Harry isn’t too sure what happens after Percy arrives. The rest of the Halloween night becomes a blur after he loses track of Percy and Ron amongst the crowd of students. He remembers someone grabbing him by his robe sleeves. He was being squished on all sides by a bunch of hysteric older students. He remembers trying to ask people to move, and his glasses getting knocked off by someone’s elbow. It’s as he’s searching for it on the ground that it happens.

He won’t be able to remember the face or voice.

He’ll only remember what they’d said.

“Oh! It’s you! Potter yeah?” they’d said.

“S-sorry I’m just, have you seen my glasses?” Harry distractedly asked as he continued to search the ground.

“This it?”

Harry squints and smiles with relief. He thanks them and reaches for it only for whoever it is to hold on long enough to remind him.

“I suppose Halloween must be tough for you then, you know considering….”

A little annoyed Harry frowns and squints harder in their direction.

“Sorry, considering what?” he questioned with confusion.

“Well…. You’re parents died, today didn’t they?”

Harry can’t be sure what happened after. He thinks the person said something else before shoving his glasses into his hands. All he could clearly remember is the numbness that spread from his chest all through out his body. He’s also not sure how long he stood there, it could have been seconds or minutes. Harry feels weightless and disconnected from the chaos around him. It’s not until Ron and Hermione come across him that he feels anchored again.

“Harry! What happened?” Hermione demands.

“I-I…” Harry struggles to speak and his throat and head hurt.

Ron grabs him by the shoulder, his eyes dark and alert. Harry is vaguely aware that both his friends look ready to murder anyone who dares try to approach.

“Mate…. You’re crying,” Ron carefully points out.

Harry is suddenly aware of the wetness on his cheeks and the heat behind his eyes.

“Harry?” Ron softly encourages while Hermione looks on in concern.

“I forgot… Ron…. I forgot… H-how could I….”

Hermione lunges, forcibly dragging Harry into a crushing hug. Harry loses himself in the comfort. It takes awhile for the other Gryffindor first years to join them. They take one look at the weird trio and hastily seek out the Older Weasley’s. Ron and Hermione don’t relax their guard around Harry until Percy, Fred and George arrive.

Percy gives out orders to the twins, and gently, ever so gently, coaxes Hermione to let Harry go.

Halloween ends with the boy-who-lived crying in the arms of the older red-head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentioned Hogwarts Prefects [Active]:
> 
> Frank Griffins: 5th year Slytherin Prefect
> 
> Gemma Farley: 5th year Slytherin Prefect
> 
> Rowan Goldhorn: 6th year Slytherin Prefect
> 
> Ashley Evergreen: 6th year Slytherin Prefect
> 
> Corvus Drake: 7th year Slytherin Prefect
> 
> Meredith Rook: 7th year Slytherin Prefect


End file.
